Tides of Time
by Michael Weyer
Summary: During the battle in the graveyard in GOF, Harry is sent to meet a man named the Doctor who ends up changing things quite radically. HPDW xover. Story sadly suspended.
1. The Ones Who Lived

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

**Harry Potter owned by JK Rowling.**

**Doctor Who owned by the BBC.**

**This hit me suddenly and I just had to write it down as fast as I could. As you can see, takes place late in "Goblet of Fire" and mid-first season of the current "DW" run. Hope you enjoy, all comments welcomed. **

**Part One: The Ones Who Lived**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The fire ripped through him as he tried to channel every ounce of magical power he could through the wand. It was painful, it was horrible, it was exhilarating. He was tapping into reservoirs of magic he never knew he had, places he didn't think existed.

But facing one's imminent death was more than enough to get Harry Potter to find his inner power.

He couldn't even see the newly resurrected Lord Voldermort before him. Or those Death Eaters surrounding him either. He couldn't see anything past the white-hot energy of the two beams of magic smashing into each other. He could hear that fool yelling out but ignored it, ignored the pain, ignored everything as he tried to fight back.

That one image…the one of his parents…he didn't know if it was real or some sort of vision due to the situation. But he knew it was his one chance. He gathered together all he could and let it out in one long and loud blast that threw everyone present back.

Harry rolled on the ground, racing to grab the trophy, his other hand moving to the dead body of Cedric. The least he could do for the poor man was to get his body back to his family so they could bury him with dignity. He heard Voldermort growl and mutter something he couldn't quite understand. With one hand cradling both the Cup and touching Cedric, Harry spun around to put up a protective shield.

Magic, like science, has its laws when it comes to how much energy can occupy the same space. With the magic of two powerful wizard colliding, combined with the teleportation aspects of a Portkey, the energies of the graveyard were too much for simple space to hold in. Something had to give, some way to unleash all that energy…

And the passing of an object that resided outside time and space was just it.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The first thing Harry felt was the cold metallic deck underneath him. He blinked and stared in confusion. He had though the portkey would send him back to Hogwarts, where he wanted to go. He felt a flash of fear go through him, that somehow he'd ended up right back into Voldermort's hands.

He slowly lifted his head and stared at his surroundings. He seemed to be in a large chamber of some sort with strange pipes and columns all around. At the center of a raised platform was a huge cylinder surrounded by a control panel. The crystal-like rods inside were pumping up and down as a strange grinding sound echoed through the chamber.

"Um…hello." Harry glanced up to see a young woman staring at him in disbelief. She was quite pretty with blond hair, dressed in dark pants and a red jacket over a light shirt. "How'd you get here?"

"I….where…where am I?" Harry stammered, wincing as he sat up, feeling the pain of Voldermort's curses flowing through him. "Who are you?"

The young woman opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by a boisterous voice. "Rose! Rose! I think I've got it narrowed down!" Harry glanced over to see a figure bounding into the room. He was a tall man in dark jeans and a leather jacket, his hair cut to almost baldness. His nose was sharp, marking his rather handsome face which was tight with concentration.

"It definitely came from outside," he was saying as he circled the console, flipping odd buttons and switches.

"Doctor," the woman began.

"It appeared to be an energy signature of some sort, one that tore a hole in space/time which is rare for something so small."

"Doctor…" Rose said.

"It could have been a Vardox…no, they don't go for that sort of thing. It might be a white star of some sort…" the man kept on talking as he checked the console.

"Doctor!" Rose finally caught his attention as he turned around. He frowned at her, then at Harry, then back to her. "What?" There was a pause before he looked back at Harry, then back at Rose. "Who's that?"

"I don't know," Rose said. "He just came out of this flash of light."

"Flash of light?" The man scratched his chin. "Interesting." He stepped off the console and to Harry. Reflexively, he raised his wand and held it out. The man stopped, studying him carefully. "Hang a mo….wizard?"

Harry nodded weakly and the man's mouth broke out in a huge grin. "Fantastic!" he called out. "Been ages since I met a wizard of your age!"

"Wizard?" Rose frowned. "Wait a minute, Doctor, are you trying to say…he's a magician?"

"Yep."

"You mean…" Rose said. "As in…flying broomsticks and robes and making lead out of gold?"

"We haven't gotten to alchemy yet," Harry said. "That's sixth year."

"Sixth year?" she frowned.

Harry nodded. "Yes, Sixth year at Hogwarts. I'm only a fourth."

"Hogwarts?"

"Yes, it's the best Wizarding school in Britain and…" He shook his head. "Wait, why am I explaining this to you?!"

"Oh, I just have a trusting manner," the man said with that smile. "I'm the Doctor, by the way and this is Rose Tyler."

"I'm…I'm Harry."

"Nice to meet you, Harry," the Doctor said as he extended a hand. "Now, if you don't mind my asking, how did you get on board my TARDIS?"

Harry just stared at the hand before instinct took over. He thrust out his wand and yelled out "_stupefy!"_ With a yelp, the Doctor felt himself knocked back and onto the floor. Harry scampered to his feet, glancing around until he saw a large door nearby. He raced toward it, ignoring Rose's cries as he grabbed the handle, yanked-----

And froze in place, his mind unable to accept what he was seeing. A field of stars spread out in all directions along with a large orange globe that he knew wasn't either Earth or the moon. A slew of rocks flew by, reflected by the yellow sun not far off.

Harry just stared at the sight, trying to comprehend it all. He opened his mouth and closed it, barely aware of the two people coming up behind him. "You're in space," the Doctor said in a gentle voice. "Outer space. This is my…space…cube."

Harry slowly turned his head to him. "Who are you?" he whispered.

"I told you. I'm the Doctor."

"All right…" Harry licked his lips. "_What_ are you?"

"A Time Lord from…" His face darkened a bit. "Well, it doesn't really matter where I'm from now. Suffice to say it's not Earth."

Harry blinked. "You're…an alien," he slowly said.

"Well, you're a wizard," Rose pointed out. "You must know about some…weird stuff."

"Define weird," Harry said. "I know centaurs and a phoenix and house elves and a giant and I've met some giant spiders and-----"

"Okay," Rose said, obviously shocked at his answer. "So, you can accept aliens, right?"

"I suppose…" Harry said. "But…He…" He leaned in to Rose, nodding at the Doctor. "He sounds like he's from the North."

"Lots of planets have a North," the Doctor said as if insulted.

Harry turned to Rose. "So….you're an alien too?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, no. Born and bred Londoner. I just decided to tag along with the Doctor."

"Quite happy she has too," the Doctor said. He moved to shut the doors and pulled Harry back. "Now then, my young boy. Just how did you get here?"

"I…I was…" Harry swallowed. "I don't know if…"

The Doctor knelt down to look him in the eye. "You all right, son?"

Harry looked him in the eye…and lost it. The pain, the fear, the shock of finding himself on some sort of alien spaceship, it unleashed the floodgates. He found himself telling them everything. His parents, Voldermort, the Dursleys, Hogwarts, the adventures of the last few years, Sirius, Wormtail, the TriWizard Cup, the rebirth of the Dark Lord, all of it in one long row.

He finally stopped talking and slumped on the console platform, tearing off his glasses and wiping at his hands. The exhaustion came over him as he let out several tears, not caring about his pride or his name. Rose just stared at him in pale shock. "You're just a kid," she whispered as she knelt down beside him. "You're just…you're just a kid. You don't…you should have friends, you should be playing, learning a career, you….you shouldn't have any of this."

"No one else can…" Harry whispered. "It's always me…the Boy Who Lived…and now I have to deal with Voldermort…again…" He rubbed his temples. "I don't know what to do."

The Doctor was quiet as he gazed at the young man with a solemn expression. "Harry Potter."

Harry glanced up and took in the Doctor's expression. "Oh, Merlin, even the aliens have heard about me?" he groaned.

"By reputation," the Doctor said. "You…have quite a career before you, Harry Potter." He paused. "It will be painful, no doubt about it. Maybe a bit too much so." He paused and moved to the console, checking several of the sensors. "Come on…" he whispered. "Come on…Time War shifted so much of history as it was…Surely it can give me a break here…"

Harry frowned to Rose. "What is he doing?"

She took a breath. "Well…this is going to sound crazy…"

Harry raised his eyebrows at her.

"Well, all right, maybe not to you," she admitted. "But the TARDIS…it doesn't just travel through space. It can go through time as well."

Harry blinked once again. "You…you mean it's like a giant Time Turner?"

Rose nodded. "I guess you can say that, yeah. He's taken me a million years in the future to see the end of the Earth and then to the past to see dinosaurs. Course, there are some rules he has to play in to avoid major changes-----"

"Ah-ha!" The Doctor yelled, a huge grin on his face. He backed up from the console and turned to Harry. "Quick, the date you came from."

"Um…I…"

"Date, boy, date!" The Doctor clapped his hands.

Harry stammered it out and the Doctor quickly went about throwing several switches and knobs. The large column began to pump up and down with a grinding motion and Harry felt the entire ship shake. "What's going on?" he exclaimed.

"Just getting you back to Hogwarts," the Doctor said with that big grin of his. "Don't worry, lad. Your luck is about to change, I guarantee it."

Harry stared at him, then to Rose. "He…does know what he's doing?"

"Most of the time, I'm pretty sure he does," Rose said. She moved to the console and leaned toward the Doctor. "You do know what you're doing, right?" she whispered.

"I do indeed," the Doctor said. "I'm helping this young man out with his ultimate destiny."

She frowned. "But…I thought you weren't supposed to mess with the timeline like that."

"It used to be that way," he clarified. "But the timeline is in flux from the War, gives me a little more leeway." He paused. "Trust me, Rose…I'm doing him and everyone he knows a major favor."

She knew that look in his eyes and sighed. She settled back, knowing that whatever was going to happen, the Doctor would make do it with style.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Next: Return to Hogwarts as the Doctor starts to shift up things.**


	2. Perscription for Innocence

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

**Part Two: Prescription for Innocence**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Harry felt a bit better as he exited the TARDIS. Rose had gotten the cuts on his face cleaned up a bit and some sort of pill by the Doctor had taken away much of his pain. He followed the Doctor out, his eyes wide as he realized where he was. "We're at Hogwarts!"

"Of course we are!" the Doctor said as he hung by the doorway. "It's where I meant to go."

"Which is why it's so surprising we're here," Rose said in a light tone. Harry got the idea this was some sort of inside joke, given the Doctor's frown at her. Harry was more interested in what was behind the Doctor. It took him a moment to realize that the TARDIS was a large blue box the size of a phone booth with the words "POLICE BOX" written on the top.

"Interesting disguise," he remarked.

The Doctor stared at him before breaking into a wide grin. "Finally!" he said as he moved to give Harry a quick hug. "Finally, finally, FINALLY!" He broke away with the grin present. "Finally, a human who doesn't stare at it with their mouth agape or run around the outside looking for a trapdoor or say it's impossible it can be bigger on the inside than on the outside! Fantastic!"

Harry managed a small smile of his own. "No disrespect, Doctor but putting something big into something small is a fairly common trick in the Wizarding world."

"I suppose." The Doctor moved back into the TARDIS. "All right, Rose, you get Harry down to where he needs to be. I'll be by shortly."

"Hang on, where are you going?" Rose demanded.

"No time to explain!"

"You're a time-traveler!"

"Exactly." The Doctor shut the door and after a few moments, that grinding noise echoed once again. As Harry watched, the TARDIS seemed to fade away before vanishing. He glanced to Rose. "Is he always like that?"

"You mean just goes off on some wild tangents and never takes the time to explain any of it?" Rose nodded with a tired expression. "Quite sadly, yes." She took his hand. "Come on…let's get you some help."

A few moments later, they were entering the large office of Dumbledore and were instantly aware of the eyes on them all. It was a large group with Dumbledore behind his desk flanked by a man Harry recognized as Cornelius Fudge. Madam McGonagall was nearby along with Servus Snape. Mad-Eye Moody was nearby, his one eye widening in surprise. "Harry!" Dumbledore gasped. "My boy, what happened to you?"

"Potter!" Fudge yelled. "You damn well better have an explanation to this!"

"To what?" Harry asked.

"Cedric's dead, Potter," Snape snapped. "Popped out of nowhere in the arena, dead by the killing curse. Needless to say, we have questions."

"You're not the only ones." Everyone looked to the corner where Rita Skeeter stood, her notepad in her hands, her eyes gleaming toward Harry. "This is going to be interesting, I can tell."

"Skeeter, this is a serious matter," Fudge stated. "I would appreciate you giving us time to sort it out."

"The public will want to know the truth about what happened to the Tournament, Minister," Skeeter said. "And I don't think it'd be nice to know the Ministry is hiding something."

"Like that's ever stopped you from printing what you want," Snape muttered under his breath.

Fudge sighed. "Fine, fine, whatever." He turned to Harry. "All right, Potter, out with it. What happened to Cedric?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Voldermort killed him."

There was a loud scratch as Skeeter's pen flew across the pad and out of her hands. She, along with everyone except Rose, stared at Harry in disbelief. "You…what?" Fudge stammered.

Harry nodded and proceeded to tell what he had seen of the resurrection. "He's back. He's alive."

Dumbledore sat down heavily in his chair as Fudge shook his head. "No…no, he can't…he can't be…He can't be back!" He seemed to shake and pointed at Harry. "You're lying! I know you're lying! You…you must have killed Cedric and then came up with this…this idiotic-----"

"Hey, leave off!" Rose said, moving forward. "The kid's been through hell!"

Fudge glared at her. "Who are you?"

"This is Rose, she's a friend," Harry said.

"Well, your 'friend' had best be careful," Fudge snapped. "Or she'll be joining you at Azkaban!"

"There's no reason to think Harry killed Cedric!" Minerva protested.

"Oh and there's reason to believe He Who Must Not Be Named has returned?" Fudge yelled. "Come on, Minerva! The boy's always been unstable and----"

"Servus," Dumbledore broke in. "Your arm."

Snape was thrown. He seemed unsure but a steady gaze from the Headmaster caused him to roll up his sleeve. Harry stared at the Dark Mark on his arm and how it seemed to glow. Both Snape and Dumbledore sighed at that as Moody seemed to tense as well. "It is true," Dumbledore whispered. "The Dark Lord has returned."

Fudge shook his head. "No. No, don't start, Albus! He can't be back!"

"Open your eyes, Cornelius!" Dumbledore snapped. "The evidence is there----"

"What evidence?" Fudge sputtered. "The ramblings of a troubled young boy?"

"I saw him!" Harry protested. "I saw all of them! The Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy there!"

"Lucius…" Skeeter grabbed her pen and wrote fast. "Who else?"

Fudge stared at her. "Don't listen to him!" He reached toward Harry. "That's it, Potter! I'm summoning the Aurors and getting you to Askaban now for questioning!"

"He is a student here, Minister," Dumbledore snapped. "There are rules for this sort of thing."

"Stay out of this, Albus!" Fudge yelled, his eyes wide. Harry was jarred at the man's sudden appearance, his inability to accept the remote possibility Voldemort could be back. "I'm not listening to any more of this about…You Know Who!"

"You mean Voldemort?" Rose asked. As she saw most everyone wince, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, for the love of…it's just a name, people! How are you going to fight him if you can't even say his name? Here, let me do it!" She threw her head back and started to yell. "Voldermort, Voldermort, Voldey, Voldt, VOLDERMORT!"

"Shut up!" Fudge yelled. "I'm not letting some Muggle interfere in this!"

"Hello, everyone!" The Doctor announced as he burst in, his hands in his jacket pockets. "Sorry I'm late!"

"Who the devil are you?" Snape demanded.

"Oh, I'm the Doctor," he said with a smile. "You've already met my assistant, Rose Tyler." She waved at everyone but glared at Fudge. "Now, I highly suspect my young lad here has been having a difficult time explaining the return of old Voldy, right?"

Fudge was shaking by this point. "Sir," he hissed. "I have no idea who you are or how you got here…"

"Of course not," the Doctor said. "Cause if you did, it'd ruin the whole point of my nice entrances." He looked around. "Nice, very nice. Nice to see this place looking so new."

"Excuse me," Dumbledore began calmly. "May I ask just how you managed to get in here without breaking any of our charms?"

"You may," the Doctor said. He turned to Fudge. "Now, then, Minister, as to the whole tale, I do believe I may be able to help you out with getting to the truth of the matter."

"How?" Snape demanded.

Still smiling, the Doctor pulled his hand out of his pocket to produce a small rat, which was squirming in his grasp. Harry's eyes widened as he saw how one of the rat's paws was a dark silver. The Doctor reached into his other pocket to pull out a rod-shaped object. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I'm no wizard and thank Heavens for that, but I believe that, with only one simple move, I will be able to prove not only the return of He Who You Lot Are Rather Pathetic Not To Just Call By Name but also to correct a long-ago injustice."

Rose leaned in to him. "Doctor…what are you doing?"

"Quiet, Rose, I'm working," he whispered back. He held up his device. "In my hands, a simple sonic screwdriver, usually not much good against magic, to be honest. It can't do spells, it can't warp space but, as you can no doubt gather from its name, it does produce sonic sounds." He held it close to the quivering rat. "Which are just the thing to shake up one's concentration quite nicely…"

He hit a button and a high-pitched sound echoed through the room. Everyone winced but the rat reacted worse, shaking and trying to throw itself back and forth in the Doctor's grasp. He let it ring for five seconds before opening his hand and letting the rat drop to the ground. It shook about, its body seeming to grow, its fur fading away as it took on human features. It finally became a full human, albeit still shaking as he rose to his knees and looked up.

"Good Heavens!" McGonagall gasped. "Peter Pettigrew!"

"Alive and well," the Doctor said. "And with a brand new hand to boot." He cocked his head. "Well, that was a clever play on words."

Rose couldn't help herself as she threw up her hands and yelled out "Ta-da!"

Fudge looked like he'd seen a ghost, which wasn't too far from the truth. Pettigrew was holding his ears, obviously in pain and was barely able to resist when Snape grabbed him and slammed him into a nearby chair. The Potions Master held his wand close as he sneered. "Well, well, Pettigrew. The tides of time have smacked you around quite a bit, I see."

Pettigrew swallowed. "H…hello…I….Minister…I was just…just minding my own business when that man came and…and…"

"Minding your own business?" Dumbledore said as he rose from his chair. "From what, Pettigrew? Making everyone think you were dead for thirteen years?" He glanced to Snape. "Servus. Veritaserum."

Still holding a wand on Pettigrew, Snape reached into his dark cloak and pulled out a vial. Harry wondered why Snape would be carrying a vial of truth potion on him but decided now was not the time to ask. Pettigrew pulled his head back but McGonagall surprised everyone by grabbing him and holding him in tight as Snape forced the potion down his throat.

Rose and the Doctor watched as Pettigrew shook and Dumbledore stepped in. "You are Peter Pettigrew?"

He tried to fight but it was no use. "Yes."

"Who was the secret Keeper for James and Lilly Potter?"

Fudge seemed to snap out of his stupor. "Albus, for Merlin's sake, everyone knows-----"

"I was."

Fudge gaped at Pettigrew. "What…but…Sirius Black…"

"We switched," Pettigrew was forced to admit. "I led the Dark Lord to the Potters. I told him where they were. Sirius…Sirius never would have served Voldemort."

Fudge collapsed onto a chair. "But…but…he did kill…" He stopped as he realized he could hardly accuse Black of murdering a man sitting right before him.

"Did Sirius Black kill those muggles?" Dumbledore pressed.

Pettigrew shook his head. "No…No…I did….I cut my finger off and blew up the gas main and framed Sirius for it all."

Harry glanced to the side and was rewarded with the rare sight of Rita Skeeter at a complete loss. She swallowed and did her best to keep up with the notes as Dumbledore went on. "Is the Dark Lord back?" Pettigrew swallowed and Dumbledore shook him. "Is he back?!"

"YES!" Wormtail yelled. "Yes, he's back and he's going to rid the earth of every one of you pathetic mudblood lovers!"

Dumbledore nodded and backed up, satisfied. Harry however, was looking over toward Moody and saw the man appeared to be far more troubled than the others. He also saw how he kept licking his lips, over and over in a way that seemed so…so…

He moved in quickly toward Wormtail. "Does Voldermort have a spy here at Hogwarts?"

Peter bit his lip and Harry knew he was onto something. He grabbed Wormtail's coat and shook him. "Who put my name in the Goblet? Who?!"

Peter's eyes raked to the side and his hand stretched out. Everyone turned to see him pointing at Moody. The man snarled and held up his staff, taking advantage of their shock. Just as he was opening his mouth, a globe paperweight flew through the air and nailed him squarely on his forehead. With a gasp, he flopped back, holding his head.

Harry turned to see Rose giving a little shrug. "Only child, had to learn a few games early," she explained. The Doctor was giving her a wide grin of approval. Harry glanced over to where Dumbledore was tossing the stunned Moody into a chair. Snape was heading over, waving his wand over his shoulder at Wormtail. Mystical bonds materialized around the traitor, holding him tightly to the chair.

Dumbledore knelt to grab the flask Moody had at his hip and sniffed it. "Polyjuice Potion. Servus." The Potions Master sighed as he pulled out his vial of Veritaserum and helped Dumbledore pour it down the throat of the teacher. Harry was in disbelief. "I…I can't….how could he do this?"

"Alistor Moody wouldn't," Dumbledore said. "But then, he's not Moody. Are you?" he directed at the man.

"No…no…" "Moody" said.

"Reveal yourself!"

The man snarled before his body shook, his hair receding into his head and growing darker. The fake eye seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving behind a young man with thin features that seemed almost snake-like.

For the second time in ten minutes, both Skeeter and McGonagall gasped in surprise. "It can't be!" Minerva said. "Barty Crouch Jr!"

The Doctor turned to Rose. "I just love how everyone calls everyone else by their full names around here. You don't see that sort of courtesy nowadays."

"But…" Fudge stammered. "How?" The Minster's face had gone pale and Rose was honestly afraid the man was about to suffer a stroke.

"My mother," Crouch hissed. "She saw me in Azkaban…she was dying…used the Juice to switch places…buried under my name, the foolish woman…"

"Here!" Rose cried out. "Don't be insulting your mother like that!"

"Rose, the man killed his own father," the Doctor said. " I don't think parental bonds are too big with him."

"You…killed your father?" Dumbledore asked.

Crouch sneered. "He realized who I was. Actually tried to talk me out of my appointed task. So I did what I should have done to him years ago."

"Where's the real Moody?" Dumbledore demanded.

Crouch spat at him. "My case…shrunken down…still alive in case I needed him to use to take the fall after I killed Potter."

"Then the Dark Lord has returned," Dumbledore said.

Crouch grinned. "Yes….he's back now. And there's nothing you can do to stop him."

"We shall see about that, Crouch," Dumbledore said as he rose. He turned to face Fudge. "Cornelius….I believe you have some matters to attend to."

"Matters?" Fudge appeared dazed.

"Yes, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, trying to be gentle. "Matter one…."

"I'm sorry, Professor," Harry interrupted. "But the first matter should be giving a full pardon to Sirius! He's innocent, you just heard it!"

Snape snorted. "Innocent? Black? Please, even before that…"

"Servus, not now," Dumbledore said. "I agree with Harry, Minister, Black must be exonerated. Second, you must prepare for the coming of the Dark Lord once more and that includes ensuring his Death Eaters are quickly found and arrested."

"But…" Fudge stammered. "But…I….I can't just…the Dementors…"

"Cornelius!" Dumbledore snapped which seemed to bring the man around. "You must do this! Every moment we delay is another moment the Dark Lord reassembles his power."

Fudge shook his head. "But…the panic…we can't just…we can't…."

Skeeter was getting a cramp in her hands from her writing. "Am I to understand, Minister," she spoke up. "That you are not capable of handling the return of You Know Who?"

For the first time, Harry was glad to hear Skeeter's voice as the man blanched at her question. "I…I…" He swallowed and brought himself up. "I need to contact the Ministry at once. We…we'll need to bring these two there."

"Get to it," Dumbledore said. "Time is pressing." Fudge started to walk out, his face still in utter shock. Skeeter smiled at Harry and nodded. "Well, Potter, I have to thank you for the story of a lifetime. I'll be sure to give you all credit for it."

"No need to bother on our account," Snape darkly muttered.

Harry watched her go and looked around. "Wait…the Doctor…and Rose. Where'd they go?"

Everyone else frowned and looked around. "I didn't see them leave," Dumbledore said. "But then, I was not aware of their arrival either."

"I wanted to thank them," Harry whispered. "For how they helped me."

Dumbledore smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "From what little I could tell, this…Doctor knows your gratitude." He began to pull Harry away. "Come on…we can tend to your wounds. Then I believe we have a message for your godfather." Harry felt a smile come to his lips for the first time that night as the Headmaster brought him along.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Now that was a good day," the Doctor beamed as he started the TARDIS off again. "An innocent man cleared, the magic world alerted to the evil growing and a young man's life made a little happier." He grinned wide. "I need more days like this."

"Sure we did the right thing?" Rose asked. "I mean, it does seem like we're messing in history here."

"Maybe," the Doctor said. "But things are different with time now and I do believe I've saved quite a few lives this way so it balances out."

Rose shrugged. "You're the Time Lord." She crossed her arms. "I would have liked to at least said goodbye to Harry."

The Doctor smiled to her. "Well, you never know. We might see him again soon enough. Time will tell." He stared up at the TARDIS as it took them away.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Sounds like a happy ending? Perhaps. But consider that even the Doctor doesn't know everything about time…and that sometimes the easy way isn't the right way. Read on and you'll see.**


	3. Reports and Portents

Tides and Time

By Michael Weyer

**Part Three: Press and Portents**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx**

**HE LIVES**

_**Ministry confirms resurrection of You-Know-Who**_

_**Sirius Black Innocent!**_

Exclusive by Rita Skeeter

_In her wildest dreams, this reporter couldn't possibly conceive anything as incredible as the events that transpired at Hogwarts school last evening. Following the death of Cedric Diggory at the Triwizard Cup, it appeared things could not get more incredible. That was, until this reporter was present at the scene in the offices of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. _

_As unbelievable as it sounds, a mysterious stranger calling himself "the Doctor" interrupted a meeting between Cornelius Fudge and the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter about the death of Diggory. Before our startled eyes, this Doctor produced a rat from his pocket and made it transform into none other than Peter Pettigrew, the long-believed dead friend of James and Lilly Potter. Questioned under Veritaserum, Pettigrew admitted that he was the one who led the Dark Lord to the Potters and was thus responsible for his death. He further confessed that he had sliced off his own finger and then blown up the street of muggles to frame Sirius Black. Thus, for thirteen years, the wizarding world has wrongfully blamed Black for the murder of the Potters and for being in league with You Know Who, which deserves an apology._

_But the shocks did not stop there! Pettigrew implicated Defense of the Dark Arts teacher Alistor "Mad-Eye" Moody of having been the one to enter Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire. After being subdued, "Moody" was revealed to be another long-thought dead figure, Barty Crouch Jr. Aside from confessing to the murder of his own father, Crouch Jr. also backed up the claims of both Pettigrew and Potter: That You Know Who has been resurrected and is once more among us. _

_After initial flustering, Minister of Magic Fudge has begun to take steps to try and deal with this problem such as ordering a full-scale investigation into the presence of former Death Eaters among the Ministry's ranks and issuing an immediate pardon for Black. However, this reporter was present at the start when Fudge refused to accept the possibility of You Know Who's return and seemed to be more worried about his political position than the dangers to the wizarding community. Far be it for me to insert my personal opinions into the facts but I do believe that Fudge is no longer suited to properly lead the Wizarding World against the threat of a reborn You Know Who._

_As for this mysterious "Doctor," he vanished as suddenly as he had appeared and no records of his name or existence are found in Ministry records. Whoever this man may be, it would appear the Wizarding world owes him a debt for clearing an innocent man and alerting us to a deadly threat. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**FUDGE OUT, DUMBLEDORE IN!**

_**Minister forced out by no-confidence vote, Dumbledore new Acting Minister**_

_**New Reforms made to face You-Know-Who**_

_As expected, the meeting of the Wizgnmot following the revelation of the return of You-Know-Who was quite charged with emotion. Still, few expected the utter venom given to Minister Fudge over his handling of the last few years of the efforts by Death Eaters to resurrect You-Know-Who._

_Fudge attempted to get the meeting off on a good note by introducing the newly exonerated Sirius Black and offer a formal apology for what he termed "the tragic misunderstanding." His goodwill offer blew up in his face as Black proceeded to unleash a verbal tirade on the Ministry, past and present, for not giving him a fair trial or even a chance to tell his side, for ignoring the claims of his innocence made last year and the evidence of You-Know-Who's growing influence from beyond. He finished by blasting the hypocrisy of the Magic community for acting like they hadn't spent the last thirteen years painting him as the most dangerous man alive and believing that all would be forgiven, saying he was willing to fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named but that he wouldn't become "a Ministry stooge" to do it. (See pages 8-9 for the full text of his speech and reactions)_

_Black's words apparently had an effect on the council as more and more members pressed Fudge on his plans to deal with You-Know-Who and his followers. Many pointed out how, despite being implicated as a key Death Eater leader, Lucius Malfoy was still allowed to wander free along with others who, not coincidentally, were major contributors to Fudge's campaigns. The Minister tried to deflect such questions but as more and more asked, it became clear that he was out of his element. _

_Malcom Tarsan, a relative newcomer to the Wizgnmot, took up the podium to speak out about Fudge's inactions. Having spent several years working with the American Wizarding community, Tarsan shocked everyone by referring to You-Know-Who by his true name and said that the Americans actually laughed about British wizards being too afraid to even call him by name. He went on to blast Fudge for his inaction and that he still did not want to fully accept the return of the Dark Lord. "What will it take, Minister?" he demanded. "(You-Know-Who) to show up in the Ministry basement at the head of a Death Eater contingent? He is back and we must prepare and if you cannot do it…well, it's time to find someone who can!"_

_Tarsan's words seemed to invigorate the rest of the Wizgnmot, his call for new leadership seconded and within an hour, Cornelius Fudge had been effectively voted out of office. As there is still a full year left on his current term, the decision was made to appoint an Acting Minister for the remainder of his time. It was Tarsan who nominated Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, saying that as Dumbledore had been warning of the Dark Lord's return for some time, it was only proper that he be the one to prepare for the battle with You-Know-Who. An overwhelming majority agreed and thus Dumbledore was voted in quickly._

_The Headmaster seemed surprised at the decision, his speech short but promising that he would do his best to live up to the history of the office. He promised to make several immediate moves, the first being to detain proven known Death Eaters and question their current loyalties, with Lucius Malfoy first on the list. He also surprised by proposing envoys be sent to giants and centaurs to try and recruit them as allies in the upcoming battle. Dumbledore warned that the Dark Lord's power had grown in his time away and that this war may be more devastating than the last. But with warning and time to prepare, there was the chance to prevail (see pages 3-4 for full speech). _

_No word yet as to who will succeed Dumbledore as Headmaster of Hogwarts or the current status of the school. Reports have it that the newly freed Black has taken custody of his godson, Harry Potter but no word on their exact whereabouts is known at this time. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Death Eaters in the small manor knew better than to interrupt Lord Voldemort at this time. They could tell when their master was in a foul mood and wisely kept their distance. They were rather busy anyway ensuring they could escape the Aurors hunting them all down.

On a large chair that he made a throne, Voldermort sat, angrily brooding. This was supposed to be a moment of triumph for him. Newly reborn, more powerful than ever and ready to rebuild his armies. Losing Potter had been an annoyance to him, no doubt. But far more troubling was the loss of Pettigrew and Crouch.

It wasn't that those two were that important or effective, of course. But they had alerted the Wizarding world to his return and led to Fudge's ouster. A key part of Voldemort's plan was his knowledge and Fudge would refuse to accept his return, thanks to the influence of Malfoy. It would give him time to rebuild his forces, call the Dementors and find that damnable prophecy.

Now, Dumbledore was in charge and Voldemort knew he would do what Fudge would not. Malfoy had already been arrested, along with a dozen others and the remaining Death Eaters were rushing to hide. Voldemort was also sure that the Dementors were being kept under stricter control, which would make gathering them more difficult.

He sighed deeply. This had upset all his plans. Oh, he had no doubt he would win, of course. But now he had less time than he expected and that changed things a bit. He tightened his fists at the thought that somehow, some way, Harry Potter was responsible. He was going to kill that boy. That was a vital part of his plans, to kill him long and slow as an example of his power.

"Now there's a man who doesn't look like he's having a good day."

Voldemort leapt from his chair, his wand out and aimed at the shadowy corner where a figure stood. The man was keeping to the darkness, only his tall outline present. "Who are you?" the Dark Lord hissed. "How did you get here?"

"No one you know," the man answered in a deep voice. "My methods are my own. However, I believe you and I would benefit by a talk."

"A talk?" Voldermort sneered. "Why would I talk to anyone I do not know?"

"Because," the man said. "I am the one who can allow you to achieve your victory and rule the Wizarding world."

Voldermort sniffed, an odd sight seeing as how he didn't have a nose. "I need no help from you. I will conquer the Wizarding world on my own."

The man chuckled. "Such confidence. I like that. But confidence is not all you need here. Dumbledore and the Ministry are more competent than you believe and of course, let's not forget about Potter."

Voldemort snarled. "I do not need some mystery man dictating to me what I must do!" he hissed, raising his wand. "AVADA KEDAVARA!" The deadly green bolt shot out from his wand and toward the figure. Inches before it could strike, however, the bolt seemed to blossom against some sort of shield and for the briefest second, Voldemort saw a tall, somewhat young-looking man in a suit illuminated. It faded and the man seemed to smile. "Well, that was impolite."

For one of the few times in his life, Voldemort was struck speechless. "Impossible," he muttered. "No one can withstand the Killing Curse."

"I believe Potter would disagree," the figure stated. "And as you can tell, it only works if it hits me."

"It can't be deflected…not even Potter could create a shield for it."

The man nodded. "True. Which means I must have a lot to offer." He took a step forward but remained in the shadows. "Accept my offer of aid, Lord Voldemort…and I can guarantee the Ministry shall fall. Dumbledore shall fall. And Harry Potter will most definitely fall."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "And what do you get out of it?"

"Chaos is my main forte," the figure lightly answered. "Trust me, I have no interest in ruling the magic world or any nonsense such as that. But I have a vested interest in seeing you in control. Accept my aid…and we shall both achieve victory."

Voldemort stroked his chin as he considered this. The idea of accepting aid from anyone was anathema to him but something told him this strange had something special to offer. If he could withstand the Killing Curse meant he had power. And such power could be more than beneficial to the Dark Lord.

"Perhaps…" he said carefully. "We shall have a talk."

The figure chuckled as he stepped into the light. As soon as he was clearly seen, Voldermort's realized that his plans were going to be falling into place much easier.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Next: A new year begins and Harry meets an old friend with a new face. **


	4. New Year, Old Friends, New Faces

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

**New Year, Old Friends, New Faces**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Now, you're sure you'll be fine?" Sirius Black asked. Harry rolled his eyes as he pushed his luggage cart forward. The two were heading toward the awaiting Hogwarts Express which was having its usual pre-term madness of students and families milling about.

"Sirius, quit worrying," Harry said. "Honestly, you don't have to be around me every minute of the day!"

The older man chuckled. He was dressed in a nice velvet suit, his appearance much better now that he was free. He still retained his dark beard and mustache which were well trimmed, along with his black curly hair. His eyes seemed to twinkle with a newfound spark and humor absent the first time Harry had met him. There was no denying that exoneration agreed with Black very well.

"Just catching up on all the years I missed, Harry," he said with a gentle smile. "Sure you're ready to go back?"

"As I ever am," Harry said. In truth, it was strange. The last four years, he'd been overjoyed to go back to Hogwarts after a summer with the Dursleys. But the last months spent at Sirius' ancestral home in London had been quite happy for Harry. His godfather had given him a history of both their families with mementos left behind by his parents. It lifted Harry's spirits to be so connected to the past and have back someone who truly loved and respected him.

"Can't imagine what Hogwart's will be like without Dumbledore in charge," Sirius mused. "Minerva as Headmaster…that will be a sight."

"At least we have a decent DDA teacher this year," Harry noted.

Sirius smiled. "Yes, have to give it to Dumbledore for taking a stand and insisting they put aside any problems and get Remus his job back. You'll need to learn all you can to face Voldemort's forces."

Harry nodded, his smile fading a bit. It was true that the Ministry had stepped up searching and arresting Death Eaters but there were still many dark wizards out there willing to ally with Voldemort. That wasn't to mention the various other creatures who could throw in with him, leading to rising tensions in the far too peaceful Wizarding community. At least people knew the truth, Harry thought and with Dumbledore in charge of the Ministry now, they had a chance to fight him off.

"You sure you'll be all right?" Harry asked. "No more getting into blistering rows with would be apologists?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "If I have to hear 'we knew you were innocent all along' one more time, I might have to kill someone for real."

"Don't joke like that," Harry said. He paused at the train to hug his godfather. "I'll write soon."

"I may drop by to visit," Sirius smiled. "Remember, give a note if you need anything."

"I will," Harry smiled as he boarded the train. He looked out to see Sirius waving to him and felt his heart soar once more as he let the train take him back to his old school.

It didn't take long for him to run into Hermoine and Ron, the three soon sharing stories of the summer. His best friends were naturally interested to hear how Sirius had quite the load of money saved up during his imprisonment and that Harry had a secret vault inherited from his parents.

"Best not to let the twins hear that," Ron said with a grin. "They'll yank you into one of their schemes so fast, you won't know what hit you until you're down to a hundred galleons."

Harry chuckled, looking out at the hallway and saw a familiar blonde-haired figure walking by with a solemn expression. "Is that Malfoy?" he asked. "Since when does he lower himself to take the common route?"

Ron scoffed. "Guess you didn't hear. Seems that having your father be revealed as a long time Death Eater and spy for Voldemort takes away some status. Not only did Lucius end up in Azkaban but the Ministry seized most of the family fortune. So, old Draco is now practically penniless."

Herminoe sniffed. "Couldn't happen to a nicer person."

Harry shook his head. "Hmmm…think that will humble him a bit? Make him more appreciative of others this term?"

They looked at each other before bursting out laughing.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was soon apparent that Albus Dumbledore was not going to be the typical Minister of Magic. Rather than dress in a professional suit, he wore his standard grey robes and conducted himself with less strict regulations than his predecessors. He was also showing himself more open than past Ministers when it came to magical creatures allowed inside the Ministry, creating a more relaxed mood than before. However, under that calm show was an undercurrent of danger as everyone knew of the danger of the rising Dark Lord.

Dumbledore sat back in the chair of his study, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. This was why he had always resisted earlier attempts to have him take up a position in government. The sheer logistics of being Minister could be overwhelming sometimes, ten times the work of being Headmaster. Still, it was for a good purpose and he knew there were few who could handle it well enough.

At the knocking of the door, he glanced up to see Malcom Tarsan enter. Dumbledore smiled at the sight of the younger wizard. He hadn't been sure what to make of Tarsan at first. Yes, the man had stood up to Fudge and the Ministry and had nominated Dumbledore as Minister but there was little else known about him. But in the last few months, Dumbledore had come to rely on him as a key member of his staff. Give him time, the old man thought, and Tarsan might make a fine Minister himself someday.

"Malcom," he said. "What brings you by so early this afternoon?"

"Nothing too serious, Minister," Tarsan said as he stepped in. He was in his late thirties with dark hair and a hooked nose, handsome but with a slight edge to him. He wore a dark suit with a colorful bow tie and an overcoat. "It seems Umbridge is trying to push her pureblood testing again."

Dumbledore let out a tired sigh. "Can that woman not get it through her head already that half-bloods can be just as good wizards as purebloods?"

Tarsan shook his head. "Evidentially not, Minister. I hate to say it but I do believe it's time we considered dropping her from the Ministry."

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "I know the woman is…difficult, Malcom…"

"Difficult?!" Tarsan snorted. "Minister, please! I'm half-shocked the woman hasn't jumped to Voldemort's side! She's so into discipline to the point of dictatorship, it's frightening. And she has some support. She could cause serious trouble if she starts making her opinions known."

"I am not going to simply dismiss people for opinions, Malcom," Dumbledore said with a stern look. "That is no better than Dolores' actions."

Tarsan sighed. "I suppose. But, Minister, she could interfere with the plans to fight Voldermort."

Dumbledore waved his hand. "Very well, I'll talk to her. Don't worry, Malcom. She'll see reason."

"I hope so, Minister," Tarsan said with a serious note. "There's still darkness out there…sometimes right in plain sight."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

If there was one thing Harry could count on almost never changing, it would be Diagon Alley. The wizarding shopping center still had the same dark paved roads and slightly crooked buildings that appealed to Harry so well. Even the chill of the November weather couldn't hurt his good feeling as he walked its streets. With Christmas coming soon, Harry figured he'd be able to put his new-found money to good use to get some presents for friends and family.

Sirius was going to be a toughie, he knew. It was his first Christmas out of Azkaban and a free man and Harry wanted his gift to be special. Remus had helped a bit giving him ideas but Harry was still mostly stumped as to the exact nature of the gift.

This year had been tougher in studies but he'd expected that. Snape seemed to be even harsher than usual, not surprising given the presence of Remus and the freeing of Sirius. However, McGonagall had been a very effective Headmaster and things were flowing easily. Yes, there was the undercurrent of fear with the return of the Dark Lord but for the most part, the morale of the students was still high as things went on as mostly normal.

Harry checked his list, marking off Herminoe. Ron had kept her distracted in the bookstore long enough for him to get her present. He thought she'd like the new occluemancy volume, it was top of the line. Ron, he figured, would be fine with a proper party outfit just in case another school dance was held.

He was passing by a shop when a reflection in the window caught his eye. He followed it around to a man perusing a nearby window. He was of regular height with short black hair, inquisitive features, clad in white tennis shoes with a striped grey suit and a long overcoat. He glanced up quickly…and Harry felt his breath leave him.

The man looked around before staring to casually walk away, a light bounce to his step and looking about. Harry was still staring when Ron's voice came from behind him. "Hey, Harry, what's up?"

Harry glanced behind him to see Ron and Herimone coming up, both bundled against the chill. Hermione's face was marked with puzzlement at Harry. "What's wrong?"

Harry swallowed. "That man," he pointed to the figure walking away. "That…that looked like Barty Crouch Jr."

His friends started in surprise. "What?" Ron blurted. "It can't be! He's in Azkaban!"

"He broke out before without anyone knowing," Harry pointed out. "Why couldn't he do it again?"

Herimone frowned. "But if it is him…why would he just be strolling down a public street like this?"

"I don't know," Harry remarked. "But I'm going to find out." He began to follow after the figure. Ron and Herimone exchanged glances before following him quickly.

"Here, Harry," Ron said in a warning tone. "You sure this is wise? Maybe we should try to call an Auror or someone."

"No time," Harry said as he increased his pace. "Besides, this could be a clue to Voldermort's whereabouts."

"Harry," Herimone pleaded. "Think about this! The man killed his own father! You think it's wise to tackle him alone?"

"We'll just follow," Harry said as the trio made their way down the alleyways toward the darker section of the area. "If it looks like he's onto us, we'll bolt and find help. He should be smarter than try anything here."

"He should be smarter than to show up here," Ron muttered. "I can't believe no one's called the Aurors on him already!"

"We'll see to that," Harry said, lowering his voice as they turned down the alleyway. "Now, just stay quiet and we'll try not to be noticed…"

"Hello there!" The three yelped and spun around, hands on their wands as they saw the man suddenly standing behind them. He had a wide grin on his face as he took them all in, his smile growing as he saw Harry. "Harry Potter!" he said with a joyful voice. "Dear me, it's been a while!"

"Not long enough," Harry hissed as he held up his wand. "Just hold it right there, Crouch!"

"Crouch?" the man frowned. "Who's Crouch? And it's not polite to point, you know." He seemed unperturbed as Ron and Herimone also pulled out their wands and aimed them at him.

"Watch it, you!" Ron hissed. "We haven't forgotten how you tried to kill Harry last year!"

"Kill Harry?" the man frowned. "What are you talking about? I believe I helped him out quite a bit with the whole revelations about Wormtail and all that."

Harry frowned. "What?"

"That's right," the man said with a nod, sounding insulted. "I didn't have to do that, you know but I'm a decent enough sort to offer to help make your life a bit easier." He smiled suddenly. "How is your godfather, by the way? Enjoying his freedom?"

Harry blinked as he studied the man. He saw that the resemblance to Crouch was striking but there were differences. There was a slighter build, the face more clean shaven but it was the eyes that drew his attention. They seemed to glisten with a mix of power and experience, experience greater than Harry had ever seen. There was sadness, true, but there was also a mischief to them, as if appreciating the humor in life. It was a pair of eyes that Harry had only seen once before, with….

"Doctor?" he whispered.

The man beamed at him. "You're still the only human in a while to react to the inside of the TARDIS with such nonchalance."

Harry lowered his wand, staring in wonder at the man before him. "Doctor…it is you!" He looked him up and down as Ron and Herimone stared at him in confusion. "But…I mean…what happened?"

The Doctor frowned and looked down at himself. "Oh, this?" He shrugged. "Ran into a…well, a spot of trouble not long after we met. I took a major dose of unearthly energy, pretty much fried every cell in my body. Luckily, we Time Lords have a little way to cheat death called regeneration."

"Regeneration?" Harry repeated.

The Doctor nodded. "Yep. New body, new face, new personality. Done it about…ah…nine times now." He rubbed his face. "Huh…no idea why I'd look like that Crouch person…maybe it was bouncing around my subconscious at the time for some reason." He shrugged. "Ah, well, done is done and all."

Harry smiled. "I can't believe…it's amazing! Is Rose with you?"

The Doctor's smile faded. "No…no, we…had a parting of the ways a while ago. She's with her family now but…" He bit his lip. "I'm on my own now."

"Oh," Harry softly said. "I'm sorry."

"Ah, Harry?" Ron carefully asked. "Are you saying this isn't Crouch?"

Harry smiled at him. "Ron, Herimone, allow me to introduce you to the Doctor."

"The Doctor?" Herimone repeated in disbelief. "The man who helped you prove Sirius was innocent? But you described him…different."

"I was," the Doctor said. "But I'm not."

"I'm confused," Ron admitted.

"Of course you are, it's your natural state," Herimone said in a half-joking manner. She glanced back at the Doctor. "I'm sorry but you do bear a resemblance to a wanted criminal and for all we know, you are him and are lulling us to a false sense of security so you can kill us or deliver us to Voldemort so I'm not sure if we should be talking to you now."

The Doctor looked at her, then at Harry. "This is Herimone, I take it?" At the boy's nod, the Doctor chuckled. "Nice girl, reminds me of Sarah Jane."

Herimone wasn't done. "If you are this Doctor, then prove it."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and then moved aside to show the large blue box standing not far from him. "Will this suffice?" He opened the door and stepped aside, letting the three teens get a look at the huge interior.

"Blimey," Ron gasped as he entered. "This is amazing!" Herimone followed, actually impressed by the large interior. Harry and the Doctor came after them, Harry noting the lack of change to the chamber.

Herimone stared at the large device with a frown. "What is this? Some sort of new Muggle technology?"

"Actually," the Doctor said. "I dare say the 'muggles' as you call them, won't be able to come close to this for a few centuries."

Ron and Herimone stared at him in disbelief. "Hold on," Ron said. "You mean…Harry was telling the truth? You're….you're…" He couldn't quite get the word out.

"Alien?" The Doctor smiled. "Well, depends on perspective. My point of view, you lot are the aliens. Not that I hold it against you."

Herimone frowned. "Aliens don't exist."

Instead of being insulted, the Doctor seemed amused. "Really? Most of the people on this planet would say the same about wizard, witches, giants and the like. Don't be so close-minded, my dear, it doesn't become a young wizard in training."

Herimone sniffed. "Doctor…come now…I can believe you have some special abilities but an alien? Every book I've read dismisses the possibility of aliens as simply wizards using Muggle fantasies to cover their own activities."

"Herimone," Harry began.

She kept on going. "So how about you just tell us what kind of wizard you are before…" She was cut off as the Doctor, with a tired expression on his face, took her hand, bent back all but two fingers, and placed them onto the underside of his wrist. Herimone frowned, opening her mouth to speak when she suddenly realized what she was feeling. She pushed the fingers down to hold on and frowned. "Double pulse," she whispered.

She reached forward, putting a hand on the left side of the Doctor's chest and then moving it to the right. Her eyes widened with shock as she pulled back. "Two hearts," she whispered.

"What?" a baffled Ron asked.

Herimone waved at the Doctor, her eyes wide. "This man has…has…two hearts!"

"Blimey," Ron said as he leaned over the console. His hand settled on a button and a loud rumbling echoed through the TARDIS. "Get away from that!" the Doctor said as he raced over. Ron did but the TARDIS engine was already pumping as the ship began to move. The Doctor raced around the console, trying to hit switches and buttons as he yelled at Ron. "Are you by any chance friendly with a chap named Mickey?"

"We have to get out of here!" Herimone said. She began to move but Harry grabbed her arm. "Herimone, trust me, we're better off right here for now!"

"But…"

"Listen to the boy!" the Doctor cried out as he continued to work the console. "Just…one…" He hit a button and the shaking stopped, the engine slowly dying. Herimone took a breath and moved to the doorway. "Ah, I wouldn't do that just yet!" the Doctor called out.

She ignored him as she pulled the doors open and was greeted by the sight of a gorgeous field of gasses and rocks surrounding a planet in a ring. She stared in utter disbelief at the sight, at how a comet rocketed past and an asteroid floated by. Ron was soon beside her, also astounded at the sight of open space and its spectacular view. "Now there's something the astrology classes would love to glimpse, eh?"

Herimone just stared at it for another moment before her eyes rolled up and she fell backward onto the TARDIS floor. Ron looked down startled before looking up to the young man standing nearby with a satisfied smile. "Merlin, Harry! I think we just broke Herimone!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Dolores Umbridge's home was much like her office: done up in mostly pink interiors with countless photos of dogs set around the walls. Her den was a carbon copy of her Ministry office, right down to the framed photo of Cornelius Fudge on her desk. As far as she was concerned, he was still the person who knew how the Wizarding world should be run and she was confident she was doing his work here.

She hummed to herself as she went down the list of wizards to question. She nodded as she saw the Weasleys were next up tomorrow. She had her doubts to them, especially that Arthur. Percy was a decent sort but if the family was not pureblood, then they had to be noted as such. Only pureblood power could stand a chance against the Dark Lord and Umbridge was dedicated to finding those who could properly handle the task.

"Umbridge." She started and looked up at the doorway to see Malcom Tarsan standing in her office. "My apologies for dropping by without an appointment," Tarsan said, not sounding apologetic at all.

"How did you get here?" Umbridge demanded.

Tarsan ignored the question as he stepped in. "The Minister is concerned, Umbridge. Concerned about your pureblood inquisition."

Umbridge settled back, her dark smile coming to her face. "I believe the purposes of the tests are clear, Tarsan. I am attempting to find the pureblood of wizards and see who is strong enough to fight the Dark Lord."

"And only purebloods can?" Tarsan asked. "I was under the impression blood did not mean that much."

Umbridge snorted. "And who says that? Mudbnloods? They're as big traitors as Death Eaters. Only purebloods can properly wield the power of magic!"

Tarsan stroked his chin. "Umbridge, I am giving you a chance to end this little racist vendetta quickly and easily. Otherwise, I will bring this to the public light and I don't believe you want that."

Umbridge's face took on the grin of a cat that swallowed the canary. "Actually, Tarsan…I believe it is you who does not want things coming to light."

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Umbridge reached over to take a small vial out of her pocket. "You recall when you nicked yourself at the Ministry on some papers?" she asked sweetly. "Well, I couldn't help but borrow a bit of it to test. For Ministry purposes of course." The smile grew as she leaned in. "Imagine my surprise when I saw just what it was. How will the public react to finding out that one of the Minister's top aides doesn't seem to be a full human, hmm?"

She expected surprise from him, then fear, then acceptance. What she didn't expect was the look her gave her of partial sadness. That sadness soon faded, replaced by a cool detachment that sent icy shivers up her spine. When he spoke, his voice was not just much colder than before but also seemed older, older than even Dumbledore's. "It's a shame you had to see that, Umbridge. But at least now…I can say I was provoked."

The smile faded from Umbridge's face as Tarsan backed up. The look of ice in his eyes told her that she had just made a very, very fatal mistake. She reached her hand to her wand but it froze as a shape entered the doorway behind him. She stared in utter bafflement at the rotund shape with its dome, her eyes fixed on the long suction-like attachment at its head.

The last thing she saw was a blare of green light and the last thing she heard before the blast ripped her body with fire was the mocking mechanical voice.

"EX-TER-MI-NATE! EX-TER-MI-NATE!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Thanks for all the nice comments. For those wondering, this is now the 10****th**** Doctor, somewhere between "The Christmas Bride" and "Smith and Jones." Hope to have more soon.**


	5. Not So Pleasant Blast From the Past

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

Not Pleasant Blast From the Past

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Murder in the Ministry**

_Magical Community shocked by death of key Ministry official_

_The magical community is investigating the shocking death of Dolores Umbridge, one of the top officials in the Ministry. Umbridge was found dead in her office this morning after she failed to appear at a scheduled appointment. Details are sketchy at this time with much information held by the Ministry but it does appear she was killed instantly by a single blast of energy._

_Minister Dumbledore issued a brief statement expressing his shock at the horrible incident. "While Ms. Umbridge and myself had both personal and professional differences, she was a loyal member of the Ministry and her death is a loss. Far more troubling is that it occurred within the Ministry itself and we are intensifying our security to ensure such a tragedy does not happen again."_

_The most obvious suspect are the forces of You-Know-Who but no official word has been given at this time. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The clearing was almost totally empty and quiet, a nice day in the English countryside. It was broken by a loud grinding as the TARDIS flowed out of thin air and solidified. The doors opened a few moments later and the Doctor exited, followed by Ron, Harry and Herimone.

"Ah, this doesn't look like Hogwarts," Ron announced.

"It doesn't?" The Doctor frowned and looked around. "You sure? Wide open fields, that lovely chipper English smell, there's a campus nearby!" He nodded to a series of buildings close to the field.

"Hogwarts is a castle, Doctor," Harry gently reminded him.

"Oh, right," The Doctor said, stroking his chin. "Hmm…maybe I was a bit off course. Come on, let me find out where we are, work our way along from there." He began to stride forward, the three teens following.

"It is the right time frame," the Doctor said. "I can recognize the pollution content in the air."

"Ah, when you say time frame," Ron asked. "You mean a few hours or…" He trailed off, not willing to say the rest.

"Relax," the Doctor said. "At worse we're off a year or two."

"A…a _year_?!" Herimone shrieked. "Are you joking? How can we be…"

"Now don't panic just yet!" the Doctor said as they came to a small newsstand near the buildings. He moved in to look at a paper. "Ah, here we are! I told you, no need to worry!" He lifted up the paper to show them it was still the same date as when they had left. The three let out a sigh of relief but Herimone was the first to see the headline of the paper.

"Wait a minute…we're in…Ipswich?!"

The Doctor frowned as he looked at the paper. "Oh. I suppose we are at that."

"Oh, Merlin," Ron moaned, his head in his hands. "My mum is gonna kill me."

Harry gazed at the Doctor in amazement. "You took us to the other side of the country?"

"Oi!" the Doctor snapped. "I got us back on the right day, the right month, the right year, what more do you want?"

"How about an understanding of directions?" Herimone snapped. "What kind of a spaceman are you if you don't know how to direct to a spot you've been before?"

"Well, it's not like the thing's perfect!" the Doctor said. "If it was, it wouldn't be looking like a police box all the time, now would it? Look, just let it rest, you can use a phone to tell your families you're all right."

"We're wizards, Doctor," Herimone sniffed. "We don't use phones."

The Doctor shook his head. "Honestly, if you people are going to live in the modern world, you need to know how to work in it. Really, not using phones is just putting up a sign something's off with you."

"You'd know about seeming off," Ron muttered.

"Come on, we can at least find a place to eat," the Doctor said as he led them around the various buildings. It appeared to be a small community college as proven by the ringing of a bell and several dozen people exiting buildings to walk around the campus. "So this is where Muggles learn," Herimone said, looking around. "It's quaint."

The Doctor glanced at her. "Is that a bit of superiority I hear in your tone? Hmph, it appears someone has an attitude."

Herimone returned his gaze carefully. "It is simply, Doctor, that they don't have to deal with the responsibility of powers like we do. So I do believe our schoolwork is more important over all."

"Ah, I see," the Doctor dryly said. "So muggles don't matter as much in terms of schooling, do they? Funny, could swear I've heard that attitude expressed by some Lord somewhere…"

Herimone stammered and Ron leaned in to whisper to Harry. "This man keeps leaving Herimone at a loss for words. He's obviously not human."

The Doctor didn't hear them as his attention was caught by someone nearby. "That couldn't be…" he muttered as he began to pace toward the man. The three young people followed with looks of confusion. The man the Doctor was headed toward appeared to be in his seventies with white hair and mustache. He still had handsome, if wrinkled features and even though he was in a dark suit, he seemed to have the bearing of a military man.

He was finishing a talk with another suited man, shaking hands and glancing to the newcomers. "Good day," he said in a voice that had a bit of gruffness despite its friendly tone.

The Doctor smiled broadly. "Brigader!" he called out. "My dear fellow, how wonderful to see you again!" He reached to take the startled man's hand and shook it hard. "You look amazing, truly amazing! I knew you'd still be going strong, course I had special knowledge and all but even with that, I knew you'd still be around but didn't know you're be around here!"

"I beg your pardon, who are you?" the man asked.

"Oh, let me introduce you to my friends," the Doctor said, turning to the others. "Harry Potter, Herimone Granger, Ron Weasley, let me introduce you to Brigader-General Alistar Lethbridge-Stewart!"

"Pleased to meet you," Herimone politely said.

"Ah, the same," the Brigader said, obviously jarred by this. "I'm sorry but I do have to be going here…"

"Oh, come on, after all this time, we need to catch up!" the Doctor said, slapping the man's arm.

"You know this man, Doctor?" Harry asked.

"Doctor?" The Brigader looked at him with an intent expression, his eyes narrowing. "Doctor…is that you?" At the beaming nod, the Brigader looked him up and down in amazement. "Good Heavens…you've done it again!"

"Twice…" The Doctor looked up in concentration. "No…three times since we last met."

The Brigader looked upward as if pained. "Ten of them! I didn't know when I was well off!"

"You've known the Doctor before?" Harry asked in interest.

"Oh, me and the Brig go back ages!" the Doctor said cheerfully. "I was working alongside UNIT during a period in my third incarnation. The Time Lords and I had a…well, a little falling out…"

"I was under the impression they had put you on trial for interfering in time and exiled you," the Brigader dryly stated.

"Oh, apples and oranges," the Doctor waved off. "I did help you out a lot, didn't I?"

"Yes, helped my ulcer grow faster than normal," the Brigader grumbled.

"What's UNIT?" Ron asked.

The Brigader sighed. "Well, if you know the Doctor, I assume you know aliens exist." At their nods, he went on. "UNIT was created to protect England from possible alien threats."

"I've been meaning to have a word with you on that subject, Brigader," the Doctor said, his voice growing serious. "Seems I've run into a lot called Torchwood."

The Brigader grumbled. "Oh. Them. Yes, we tried to have little to do with them."

"How come I never heard of them?"

"They are top secret, Doctor," the Brigader said. "Most of UNIT didn't know they existed. And as I recall, you rarely got involved in much that didn't involve you or your immediate surroundings so it's little surprise you never heard of them."

"UNIT, Torchwood, Merlin, the muggle world is complicated!" Ron remarked.

"Brigader, I think an organization that considers me an enemy and a threat should have been brought to my attention," the Doctor crossly said.

The Brigader glared at him. "Doctor, if you had to know the number of times I argued on your behalf for Torchwood, you wouldn't be so antagonistic about them now."

The Doctor softened. "Oh. Right." He took a breath. "Sorry, Brigader, I didn't mean to be so abrupt."

The Brigader scoffed. "I would have been surprised if you weren't."

"Um, I hate to interrupt your reunion, Doctor," Harry said. "But I really think we need to be getting back to school."

"Right." The Doctor turned to the Brigader. "So, Brigader, don't suppose you'd know the nearest way to the biggest magical academy in Great Britain, would you?"

Behind him, Harry, Ron and Herimone slapped their hands on their heads in unison as the Doctor looked up in confusion. "Thunder? Funny, didn't hear a rain report."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Black Estate had seen better days. Having its main keeper spend a decade imprisoned had naturally led to some decay but Sirius had done a good job trying to spruce it back up since his clearing. It was still out of the way and thus a good meeting place for the new Order of the Phoenix. While Dumbledore still felt it was the job of the Ministry to prepare for the war with Voldemort, he knew the Order had its place and could be instrumental as well.

Sirius was in his main den going over some papers when the door opened. He glanced up and smiled at Remus Lupin entering. "Moony, what's the word?"

"Bad," Lupin grumbled. His suit still seemed ill-fitting on him as he shuffled toward a nearby chair. Behind him was Nymphondara Tonks, who gave her cousin a friendly smile. She was dressed in her usual jeans and leather jacket, her hair a bright purple.

Sirius nodded. "So it was a Killing Curse?"

Lupin sighed. "It doesn't seem that way. From what we can tell, she died instantly but we can't find magical traces around. There was also some sort of burn mark on her torso, like a weapons blast of some sort."

Sirius frowned. "Hmm…maybe some sort of new dark weapon Voldermort cooked up?"

"Looks that way," Tonks said as she leaned on a wall. "But why kill Umbridge?"

Sirius snorted. "Tonks, did you ever meet the woman? Trust me, five minutes and even the St Mungo's healers would be breaking out the Unforgivables on her."

"But to take her out in the Ministry…" Lupin shook his head. "It's too daring."

"Actually, it might be just what Voldemort wants," Sirius pointed out. "You saw the headlines. Taking someone out in the Ministry itself sends out a clear 'no one is safe' warning that everyone will listen to."

Tonks brushed back her hair. "That still leaves the question of how they managed to get inside without any warning or triggering any alarms."

"Inside man?" Sirius suggested.

Tonks glared at him, her hair briefly turning red. "Don't say that around Moody. He hand-picked the Aurors there himself."

Sirius held up a hand. "I'm just suggesting it's the easiest explanation."

"I know most of those people, Sirius," Tonks said. "They wouldn't betray us."

"We thought Peter wouldn't either," Lupin softly interjected. Tonks softened a bit as she saw the pain in the eyes of both men at the old betrayal. She reached to rub Lupin's shoulder. "Hey," she said to get his attention. "I'm sorry. But we shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"She's right, Moony," Sirius said. "Even if we have suspicions, we'd need proof to back them up."

Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Since when have you been willing to show patience, Padfoot?"

"Since I was convicted on almost no evidence whatsoever," Sirius returned. "I'd better check in with Mad-Eye and start looking into the ranks, see if there's anyone who might have known something."

"I'll let him know you're coming," Tonks said as she moved to the door. "I'll call you later, ok, Remus?"

"All right," he nodded as she left. He turned to see Sirius sitting with a large smile on his face. "What?"

"Moony's got a girlfriend, Moony's got a girlfriend…" Sirius started to sing.

The werewolf scowled. "Oh, don't start, Padfoot! She's a friend, that's all!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Moony, you may have grown, you may be a professor but you're still an idiot when it comes to women."

"Better than being an idiot at almost everything else like some I could name," Remus rejoined.

"She likes you, Moony," Sirius said.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter if she does, Sirius. It's…too dangerous, you know that."

Sirius sighed. "Remus…Take it from someone who just lost out on a decade of his life. If you've got a chance…any sort of chance…to get something that can make you happy…Take it. No matter what, take it."

Lupin stared at him in amazement. "Sirius…that may be the most mature thing you've ever said to me."

"Well, don't expect a habit of it," Sirius grumbled. "I have a reputation to…"

He was interrupted as the door opened and Tonks stuck her head in, her face serious. "Either of you two heard from Harry?"

The men exchanged frowns before looking back to her. "No, why?" Lupin asked.

"He, Ron and Herimone were out shopping at Diagon," Tonks said. "Just got a message from Minerva. They were expected back an hour ago but no sign of them at all."

"That's not like them," Sirius said, instantly alert. "Harry knows better with the Death Eaters around."

Lupin was on his feet. "Let's get to Hogwarts, we can use the trackers there."

Sirius nodded as he joined his friend. "Let's just hope Harry doesn't do anything stupid."

"He's James' son."

"Good point."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So…you know about magic?" Herimone asked the Brigader. The five were seated in his large office overlooking the campus building. The Brigader was pouring them another round of tea as he sat back in his chair.

"At the risk of breaking your beliefs, young lady," he stated. "The top levels of government have been aware of the magical world for centuries. The first thing every Prime Minister does, after meeting her Majesty of course, is to meet with the Minister of Magic and be briefed on it. As UNIT often dealt with…unusual activity, it was felt prudent to let us know the difference between magic and alien activity. I assume Torchwood does the same."

"Knowing them, they've tried to figure out how to mix it up," the Doctor sniffed as he sipped his tea. "Which can be rather disastrous." He shook his head. "Every time I have hope for you people, Brigader, I find you ready to do something incredibly stupid and threaten to mess it all up."

The Brigader sniffed. "And your race is perfect, Doctor?"

The Doctor stopped and looked away. "I am my race, Brigader," he whispered.

The elderly man froze and frowned. "What?"

"There was a war against the Daleks," the Doctor softly began. "The last great Time War. We were losing badly, Gallifrey was in flames, we were dying by the score. There was only one way to end it all…I had to do it." He sipped at his tea, his words echoing in the now silent room. Even Herimone and Ron were quieted by the impact of the pain in the Doctor's voice.

"I…I'm sorry, Doctor," the Brigader said in the gentlest tone the Time Lord had ever heard him use. "I truly am."

The Doctor sighed. "Ironic, isn't it? I spent so much time chastising you for always going for extreme methods…yet I end up causing a greater body count than you could ever hope for…and lay waste to my people."

"It was war, Doctor," the Brigader pressed. "I know how it is. If you didn't have a choice…"

"That doesn't make it easier," the Doctor said, staring off. "It was one thing to be exiled, Brigader. I knew I didn't quite fit in with them and all that but it's something else to be the last of my kind. The only one who can do what I do and fight the battles that need fighting."

"I know what you mean," Harry softly said. The Doctor looked at him and felt a small smile as he realized the young man was sincere.

Seeking a way to end this rather melancholy conversation, Herimone turned to the Brigader. "So, ah, how involved are you in the magical community?"

"Oh, I still keep up with it, even in retirement," the Brigader said. "I even subscribe to your papers through contacts." He reached to unlock a drawer, rummaging to pull out a pair of papers. "The _Prophet _and the _Quibbler_."

"Latter's mostly a tabloid," Ron pointed out. "But they do move away from the Ministry say-so and…" He stopped as he saw the picture of a dead Dolores Umbridge. "Bloody hell."

Herimone gasped as she grabbed the paper and read through it. "Dolores Umbridge, Ministry official, killed right in the Ministry building itself? But…the alarms, the wards, the guards…how can this be?"

"Voldemort, obviously," Harry said gazing at the image of Umbridge's body. "Hmm…wonder how they managed to get the photo while the _Prophet_ couldn't."

The Doctor had slipped on a pair of glasses as he leaned in to examine the image. He stopped and stared carefully at the way the body was splayed out and the burn mark at its torso. "No," he whispered. "It couldn't be…it just couldn't be…"

"What is it, Doctor?" Harry asked.

"I…" the Doctor swallowed. "I think we need to get back to Hogwarts now. If this is what I think it is then we're all in very big trouble."

Without warning, the door to the office burst open and Sirius Black rushed in, followed by Lupin, Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody. All four had wands out and pointed right at the Doctor. "Hold it right there, Crouch!" Black snapped. "Or I'll hex you so bad, they'll be trying to stop your screams for a year!"

A silence went up before the Brigader snorted. "Well, Doctor…it's nice to see that no matter what the regeneration is, you never quite change."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Apologies this took a while to get out. Next chapter will hopefully be sooner with fun at Hogwarts and the mastermind revealed…which may be a slight surprise. All comments welcome. **


	6. Examinations and Revelations

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

**Examinations and Revelations**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Harry, are you all right?" Sirius asked quickly.

"I'm fine, Sirius, we're all fine," Harry said. "This isn't Barty Crouch."

"Harry…"

"Sirius," Harry interrupted. "I thought the same thing when I saw him but it's not. It's the Doctor."

"Hello there," the Time Lord said, sticking out his hand. Sirius pointed his wand at him and the Doctor frowned. "Clear a man of innocence and this is the thanks you get…" he muttered.

"Pardon me," the Brigader said. "But this is my office and I don't appreciate people with weapons or wands bursting in without a word. I don't know who you think the Doctor is but I can assure you, he's not." He let out a heavy sigh. "Believe me, I'd know."

"Thanks, Brigader," the Doctor said, not noting any insult.

The Order members looked at each other with some confusion. "Um…I see," Sirius said as he lowered his wand. "Well, ah…sorry about that."

"Happens all the time," the Doctor waved it off.

Moody glared at him, his artificial eye rolling about and his staff held high. "How can we be sure this isn't some trick?"

The Doctor looked him over. "High-ranking security, right?" He nodded. "That figures. Haven't met a security chief yet who could go through the day without some violence."

Sirius bit his lip at that as Moody glared at the Doctor. "Well, if you're not Crouch, who are you?'

"I told you, the Doctor," he said as he stood up. "Now, we'd better get to Hogwarts."

"What?" Remus frowned. "Why?"

The Doctor was already moving to the doorway. "No time for questions, young man! We have serious work to do and if you want to survive, you'll let me do it so let's be off, shall we?" He walked right past the surprised wizards and out the door.

They stared at each other in surprise before glancing to the Brigader. The retired officer simply gave them all a tired smile. "You do get used to him eventually." He paused. "No, not really."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Doctor let out a hum as he walked along the hallways of the Ministry of Magic with no notice of the hustle and bustle around him. Remus, Sirius and Tonks trailed after him. "Harry didn't look happy having Moody escort them back to Hogwarts," Lupin noted.

"Tough," Sirius said. "I'm not letting them go anywhere without a guard of some sort."

"A bit of tough love don't you think?" Tonks asked.

"I'll take that over the alternative."

"Now where was this murder site?" the Doctor asked. "I need to look it over as fast as possible."

"You realize you're the guest here, Doctor," Lupin said in a strong tone. "Technically, this is off limits to anyone but Ministry personnel."

"Nothing's off limits to me," the Doctor said as he let them lead him upstairs and down the hallway to the office. Lupin whispered to drop the spell sealing it off and then led the Doctor in. It was mostly intact with no signs of a struggle, save a few papers scattered on the ground. "She was found here," Lupin said, pointing to a spot on the floor.

The Doctor knelt to examine it, reaching under his coat and pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He ran it over the area, the tool letting out a series of beeps as the trio looked at him in confusion. "What's that?" Tonks asked.

"You could call it my own magic wand," the Doctor said. He frowned as he ran it over one spot in the air. "Please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong," he whispered. A loud beep went out and he closed his eyes in pain. "I'm right. It's my curse, I'm always right."

"What is it?" Sirius asked. "We checked but we didn't find any traces of a curse."

"It wasn't a curse, Mr. Black," the Doctor gravely said as he stood up. He looked up and took a deep breath. "They survived. Somehow, they always survive."

"Who?" Tonks asked, her hair turning red as her irritation at the Doctor's cryptic statements annoyed her.

The Doctor turned to her and the three wizards were thrown by the grave look in his eyes. He opened his mouth and uttered a single word. Despite the fact they had no idea what it meant, all three felt a chill run down their spines at it.

"Dalek."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Never thought I'd appreciate floo travel so much," Ron grumbled as he, Harry and Herimone walked down the hallways of Hogwarts. All three were back in their school robes as they headed back to their rooms. "After that TARDIS ride…"

"I do wish we could have talked to that Brigader more," Harry said. "I was interested in hearing about the Doctor."

"You like him, don't you?" Herimone asked.

Harry nodded. "I do. He treats me with respect but doesn't buy in my big reputation or fame. Plus…he's known pain. I can relate to that."

"Don't be enamored." The three stopped to see a young blonde-haired girl reading a book at a bench nearby. "Death walks with him."

"What?" Herimone asked.

Luna Lovegood lowered the book to look up at them. As usual, her face had a faraway expression as if she was looking somewhere beyond them all. "The Doctor," she said. "My father once wrote about him. His faces change but he stays the same as does what comes with him."

Harry frowned. "Isn't he a good guy?"

Luna nodded. "Good indeed. But not all powerful. He means well, he always does but too often he'll ignore the far-reaching consequences of his actions. Where he goes, death always occurs. Oh, it'd be worse without him but it's true." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Death follows him. Just like you, Harry."

"Luna," Herimone interrupted as Harry stiffened slightly. "That's a bit unfair."

The other girl cocked her head. "Unfair? Maybe. True though. He knows that." She lifted her book back up. "You can trust him. But faith only goes so far in keeping you alive. Where the Doctor walks, chaos follows. He can bring order but not without blood." She went back to reading as if she hadn't said a word.

The three gave each other baffled looks as they slowly moved away. "Crimey, talking to her makes my head hurt," Ron muttered, rubbing his brow.

Herimone brushed back some curly locks. "Don't let it bother you, Harry. You know how Luna is."

"Yeah, I do," Harry said. "She sees what others don't."

"Come on, Harry!" Ron pressed. "You can't expect…"

"She is right, Ron," Harry interrupted. "I do know death. I know how it follows me. My parents, Quirrel, Cedric…" He sighed deeply. "There's a war coming against Voldemort. And war means death, there's no way around it. I…I don't know how to handle that."

Ron rubbed his shoulders. "With us, mate. You know you can rely on us."

Harry gave a grateful smile as they headed down the hallways.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The room was dark, lit only by green mist and candles. Voldemort sat in his chair glaring at the face looking at him from a glowing orb. "I had thought," he hissed. "That we had agreed to wait."

"I'm afraid we have an unforeseen problem," the other man stated. "An old…acquaintance of mine has entered the playing field. His interference can ruin all our plans and so we must accelerate."

Voldemort tapped his nails together impatiently. "I do not like moving my plans ahead like this. I have spent time laying my schemes out carefully."

"Oh, relax," the other figure said. "Honestly, you spent fifteen years as a spirit, I'd think you'd be jumping to take your revenge on the world."

"I do," Voldemort snapped. "But I also know when to be careful and consolidate my forces. The Ministry has been snapping up many of my followers and prevented me from the proper alliances. My power is greater than any wizard but I still need to be at my utmost to destroy them all…" His twisted face scowled. "Especially Potter."

"Just do as I say…"

"As you suggest," Voldemort barked. "I am Lord Voldemort. I take orders from no man."

The figure smirked. "Whatever you say…_Tom_."

Voldermort's mouth twisted as he snarled. "You dare…"

"Oh, I do." The laughter had left his visitor's voice. "Without me, the Ministry would have found you long ago, Riddle. I am the only chance you have to see them destroyed so I'd be a bit more courteous if I were you. Remember…I know where the Horocruxes are."

Voldemort scowled deeper. The revelation weeks ago that his (for lack of a better term) associate had located all six of the pieces of his soul ranked him. It gave this man an advantage and Voldemort simply hated being at a disadvantage. "Do not threaten me, mudblood. I know who you are. And you can be sure that should something happen to me, that information will get out."

The man seemed nonplussed. "Then we have an understanding. Just wait for my signal."

"What about Dumbledore?" Voldemort demanded. "If he suspects…"

"I'll handle him," the man said. "Don't worry. You have my word. The ministry will fall within a day and the magical world will never be the same."

The orb stopped its glow as his face faded away. Voldemort glared at it for a long moment. Despite his certainty in his powers and the knowledge none could face up to him…he had to admit a strange misgiving in just how his supposed "partner" had made that statement.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Servus Snape never had what one might term "good days." Every day was filled with annoyances, children and gloom which had only gotten worse the last few months. Balancing between a professor at Hogwarts, an agent of the Order and a spy in the ranks of the Dark Lord would make anyone irritable. Given Snape's attitude before and one could imagine how dark his mood was.

Thus the arrival in his room of his two least favorite former classmates instantly had him grinding his teeth. "Wonderful, the Flea-covered Pair are here. I'll have to fumigate afterward."

Black ignored the taunt as he moved into the office. "Where's Harry?"

Snape snorted as he flipped over his papers. "Contrary to what some might think, I have better things to do than look after the offspring of Potter."

"Where is he, Snape?" Remus demanded. "It's important."

His tone caught Snape's attention and he looked up, noting for the first time the ultra-serious expressions on the faces of the two men. Black actually appeared worried, a change from his usual laid-back persona. Behind them, Tonks was tapping her foot impatiently on the floor while a strange man glanced about the room with interest.

"I believe they were heading to the Headmistress' office," Snape said. A tiny hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "Perhaps justice will be served for their disappearance earlier today and do not touch that!"

His words were directed at the Doctor who was picking up a bottle from the shelf and examining it. "Hmm. Giant spider legs. This is actually a good delicacy on some planets I've been to." He placed it down and looked around the office more. "A bit dark, isn't it? Ever think a rug or a window might improve things?"

"Who is this man?" Snape demanded.

"Oh, I'm the Doctor," he answered with a smile. "And you must be Servus Snape. I've heard so much about you."

"Oh, really," Snape said in a dark tone.

The Doctor nodded. "Going undercover and risking your life to spy on Voldemort. That takes guts, I respect that."

Snape was thrown at the fact someone was actually complimenting him. "Ah, thank you."

The Doctor kept nodding. "Mind you, you could be a bit better as a teacher. I've been one before and it really does help when the kids don't live in mortal fear of you. Still, you get through to them so who cares if they all think you're an obnoxious git?" He moved to the door. "Sorry, Headmistress' office, you said? Fine, let's go check that out then." He walked out as Snape stared at him.

He looked to the others in bafflement. "Who the hell was that?"

"Trust me, Snape, you'd never believe it," Sirius said as he moved to follow the Doctor. Remus and Tonks trailed after him. Despite himself, Snape's curiosity got the better of him and he moved to follow them as well.

It took a few moments to reach the large office at the top floors of the castle. In her time since taking over, Minerva McDoungall hadn't done too much redecorating but it was clear that a more feminine quality had taken hold to the décor. Portraits of family and friends were littered about with a few lace coverings on the couches and chairs. The desk seemed somehow lighter but still intimidating to the three teens sitting before it.

Minerva appeared to have been chastising them and was not happy to see the new arrivals. "Pardon me, I am in the middle of a discussion with students."

"Nice to see you again, Minerva," the Doctor said as he shook her hand. "You haven't aged a day."

Minerva was thrown, glancing quickly to Harry. "This…really is the Doctor?" At his nod, Minerva let out a breath. "Well, I suppose I must thank you for what you did last year, Doctor. However, taking these students away…"

"Never mind that," the Doctor interrupted. "We have much bigger problems now, much bigger." He began to pace about, taking off his coat and tossing it onto a nearby rack. "This is bad…this is very bad."

Harry glanced to Sirius. "What's he on about?"

"No idea," Sirius said. "He keeps muttering something about Daleks."

"What's a Dalek?" Herimone asked.

"Death incarnate." The Doctor's words caught everyone's attention. His face was dead serious with none of the humor present before as he began to speak. "Created on the planet Skaro eons ago as the ultimate soldier. No pain, no fear, no emotion or compassion. But their maker went too far giving them their own minds and they expanded their definition of enemy to mean anything that wasn't a Dalek. They are twisted and murderous and now they're here."

A silence went up at his words, broken by Snape. "Planet? You're telling us these things are…aliens?" His disbelief was clear.

"Snape," Sirius said. "I felt the same way when he told us. But when you see that TARDIS of his, trust me when I say, this man is not of this Earth."

Minerva was thrown by that as well. "Aliens? But...Aliens don't exist!"

"Well, that's be a pretty big surprise to the rest of the universe then," the Doctor noted. "Seeing as how I happen to be one myself, I can assure you they do exist. And so do the Daleks."

Herimone coughed and raised her hand as if in a classroom. As the Doctor nodded, she spoke. "What are these Daleks, Doctor? I mean, what do they do?"

"They do a great many things, my dear," the Doctor intoned. "But the thing they do most efficiently is kill living beings. They're machines more than anything which makes killing them all the harder."

"Then…a Dalek killed Umbridge?" Harry asked, getting into this more than the others.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. The blast patterns and the energy dispersal match those of their weapons. It also probably explains why you can't find any trace of an attacker. A Dalek isn't human, it wouldn't register to your magical tracks."

Snape did not believe this. "You're telling us some sort of robot killed a Ministry official? Why?" 

"That's the question," the Doctor remarked. He stroked his face. "They have to have a reason, they always do. It's possible someone is helping them, it's the only way they could get into the Ministry in the first place. There's some sort of plan afoot. I just need to figure out who's behind it."

Harry frowned. "But…Doctor…didn't you say the Daleks were wiped out in that Time War?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, I thought they were but it seems some survived. I had thought them exiled to a new dimension but it appears one or two may have slipped through the cracks."

"But why here?" Herimone asked. "Why would these…things want to attack the world of magic? Magic and science don't mix at all, it makes no logical sense to do this! These things must have intelligence, they know that no matter how strong they are, we can fight them off in greater numbers. So why waste their time attacking a clearly superior force?"

The Doctor smiled lightly as he looked to her. "You and Romana would have gotten along famously." He sighed in remembrance of the Time Lady and how she had fought the Daleks with him. She was the only other Time Lord he knew who had close encounters with the monsters. Well, her and…

And…

"It couldn't be," he whispered as his face went pale. "No, it couldn't be. He's gone, he died with the others. I'd know if he was back."

"Who?" The Doctor hadn't realized he'd been talking out loud until Minerva's voice came to him. "Who are you talking about now, Doctor?"

The Time Lord continued his hurried pacing as his mind whirled. "Just can't be…but…it would fit. They'd need someone who knows time, someone who's worked with them in the past. And this…An attack against a great source of power, it would be like him."

"All right, I've had enough of this!" Snape barked as he moved in and pointed at the Doctor. "Will you quit it with the cryptic talk and just give us a clear answer, Doctor!"

The Doctor stopped his pacing to face them all, his expression carrying worry…and a bit of fear. "I pray I'm wrong, I truly do. But it's possible…just possible…that a Time Lord may be working with them."

Ron started. "But…you said you were the last one."

"So did I," the Doctor muttered. "But he could survive. He'd survive the crunch of the universe."

"Who could?"

The Doctor looked away, not wanting to say the name. Because if he did, it would become real. But their stares wore him down and he spoke two words.

"The Master."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was late in the Minister of Magic's office as Dumbledore sat behind his desk, tapping his fingers on it. His expression was calm but his eyes were weighed by worry. At the knocking on the heavy door, he grumbled. "Come in."

Malcom Tarsan entered, his suit as perfect as ever along with his smile. "Minister. You sent for me?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Sit down, Malcom."

The dark tone in his voice made Tarsan edgy. "Is something wrong, Minister?"

Dumbledore was quiet before speaking. "How long, Malcom?"

"I'm sorry?"

"How long have you been working with Voldemort?"

Tarsan let out a startled laugh. "What? Minister, are you all right?"

Dumbledore was silent before tapping a crystal ball on his desk. It shimmered to show a view of Tarsan in his office speaking to a ball of his own. The twisted features of the Dark Lord could clearly be seen inside as Tarsan spoke to him. "You were sloppy, Malcom," Dumbledore said. "Very sloppy. All the work to get in this position and you failed to properly shield your quarters when you spoke to him." He shook his head in sadness. "I had such hopes."

Tarsan was quiet. "How long have you known?" he asked calmly, seeming to accept his fate.

"I had suspected for a time," Dumbledore stated. "You did a good job faking your career but when I personally questioned some who had known you in America, it became clear their memories of you were…general at best. The spells were quite complex but the manipulation was clear. It made me check into your background more and more inconstancies came up." He shook his head. "How you avoided detection before now is beyond me but it ends."

Tarsan nodded. "I assume the Aurors are on their way?"

"I have not summoned them yet," Dumbledore stated. "I had to be sure. But the room is carrying a special recording spell so don't bother attempting to attack me. Just give up now and it will go easy for you."

Tarsan seemed to mull it over before shaking his head. "Sorry. I don't think I'll be doing that." He reached into his pocket to pull out a strange wand that seemed to shimmer under the light.

Dumbledore let out a tired sigh as if Tarsan was a student who had given an incorrect answer. "Malcom, please. I told you, the Aurors are on their way and this is all being recorded."

"Actually, they're not and this isn't." Malcom tapped his wand in his hands as a dark smile came onto his face. "I've been monitoring every message going out of this office on every wavelength, Dumbledore. That one to the Aurors was intercepted and deleted half an hour ago. As for your recording spells…they'll say whatever I want them to say."

A dark chill went down Dumbledore's spine as he straightened. "You could not possibly do that."

Malcom chuckled. "Magic against the science of a hundred galaxies and twice as many centuries? It's no contest, my dear Minister." He waved his wand, his thumb pressing a small depression in its surface. Dumbledore's body suddenly erupted in agony, as if every cell was being attacked at once. He opened his mouth but was unable to even gasp as his body shook in its chair. He tried for his wand but his fingers refused to cooperate as he fell back in his chair, withering in agony worse than any curse.

"Marvelous things, nanites," Tarsan said as if lecturing to a classroom. "I've been spiking your tea with them for months, Dumbledore." He smirked. "Then again, at the moment the first four letters seem more appro, don't they?" He laughed as he reached forward and gave a shove that sent Dumbledore's chair flying back, the Minister landing in a heap on the floor.

"Oh and by the way," Tarsan said as he walked around the desk. "In case you haven't figured it out, I deliberately let my shields down. It seemed the best way to hasten this whole encounter. Worked out rather well, didn't it?"

Dumbledore sputtered, trying in vain to move but his limbs were held by invisible bonds. He spat out at the other man as he glared. "You…won't get…away…You…nor your master."

"Master?" Tarsan threw his head back to laugh. "Voldemort? As if I would follow any pathetic human at all. All that power, all that evil and he can't see how I'm using him. What the Doctor sees in you people is beyond me."

Dumbledore's chills grew as it finally dawned on him that Tarsan was not an agent, he was an architect. "Who…are you?" he managed to gasp out.

Tarsan paused and knelt down. "Well, since you asked so politely…I believe you are due for the honor of finally being able to say my true name." He leaned down and the madness within his eyes was now utterly clear to the fallen Minister.

"You can call me…the Valeyard."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Oh, come on…You didn't **_**really**_** think I was going to go for such an obvious choice as the Master, did you? It's a magical story so I figured a little sleight of hand was fitting for it. And yes, there is an explanation as to how the Valeyard is alive and a separate entity. Stay tuned and you'll find out. All comments welcomed.**


	7. Breaking Out and Within

**Tides of Time**

**By Michael Weyer**

**Breaking Out and Within**

**My apologies in advance that this chapter is a bit shorter. I was halfway through one chapter when my Chicago suburb was hit by the big storms on 8/23 and entering its third day without power. Writing this on a family computer out of town and thought I'd interject as it does lead into the next chapter. So enjoy.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Azkaban Prison was designed to be as far away from the Wizarding World as possible. Set on an island in a distant ocean, it was always cold and foreboding, a massive stone block with no discernable doors and the windows always looking at the sea to prove to the prisoners there was no escape. Whether by accident or spellwork, the sun never shone at Azkaban, the brightest those inside could hope for was a sheen of cloudiness. As dark as it was outside, inside was worse.

For years, the Aurors and others stationed at the prison had to put up with the Dementors flying about, always worried about running afoul of the strange creatures and having their souls sucked away. But since the return of Voldemort, the Dementors had mostly flown off, many joining the Dark Lord, others gone to…wherever it was Dementors came from in the first place. Some still remained on duty but the strength of their effects on the prisoners had been cut down. Thus, the human guards were boosted with several Aurors on task to keep things together.

That had become more complicated in the last few months with the arrests of many Death Eaters and their allies. Azkaban was now filled to more than its usual capacity but the Ministry was confident it would hold. This was the best prison the magical world had ever constructed and, with the exception of Sirius Black, no one had ever escaped. And Black only had because no one had known he was an Animagius.

This attitude showed once more the arrogance of the magical world and their belief that they knew better than muggles. Because for all their weaknesses, the muggle world had long ago realized what the architects of Azkaban did not. Which is that you do not put all of the most dangerous, powerful, cunning, intelligent and escape prone individuals into one place. Because when one gets out (and one will get out, inevitably, it's a basic rule of prisons), there's a very good chance others will follow.

That attitude was about to come to the fore upon this night.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The howling echoed through the hallways, a high-pitched shriek that sounded like it came from some sort of animal. It rolled through the rocky corridors and into every cell, causing most everyone to wince. The exceptions were the guards, some of whom checked their watches and even adjusted them. They knew that Bellatrix Lestrange's screams were a perfect clock upon this dark isle.

"Merlin, can no one shut that woman up?!" Lucius Malfoy called out, holding his hands to his ears. Prison had not taken well to the formerly immaculate man, not surprising given his lifetime of privilege and wealth. His usually perfect hair was now mussed and the torn uniform hung poorly on him. He rubbed at his temples as he paced the small cell. "Every hour on the hour…"

"You get used to it," Peter Pettigrew offered from his small bunk. One of the changes brought to Azkaban due to the influx of prisoners was that space restrictions soon crammed up and thus the idea of cellmates was brought in. It was not one that went over well with the inmates but then comfort for the condemned was never one of Azkaban's enduring traits.

Malfoy glared at the grubby man. The idea that he would be confined to such a space with a misanthrope such as that wrankled him to no end. He was convinced Sirius Black had something to do with their being put together. So far, he'd had to endure countless hours of Pettigrew mumbling over how it wasn't his fault he had to betray the Potters and asking forgiveness. Why the Dark Lord put up with this creature for so long was beyond him.

He glared out the bars of his cell as Bellatrix's screaming finally died down. "I suppose dinner will be soon," he muttered.

Pettigrew's eyes brightened. "Cheese do you think?"

"Oh, shut up," Malfoy snapped. "The last thing I want is to see you salivating over such crumbs again."

Pettigrew raised an eyebrow. "Oh, have plans for finer dining?"

Malfoy turned to glare at him. "Do not push me, Pettigrew. Unlike some, I have at least lived as a human being for the last decade."

Pettigrew snorted. "And you think that matters now?" He waved his arms outward. "Look around, Malfoy. No one here cares about your pedigree or your titles or any of that. You're just another prisoner, another number." He smirked. "So for once, you and I are on the same level. Nothing."

Malfoy flexed his hands, wishing like hell he had a wand. On second thought, he didn't need one to strangle this creature with his bare hands. Pettigrew wasn't concerned. He knew that doing anything with his bare hands, even murder, was beyond Malfoy's capability. Besides, the man wasn't quite ready to commit suicide as the Aurors were strict about such matters.

Still, it appeared Malfoy was pulling his hand back to strike when he gasped out. Pettigrew had a moment of puzzlement before his own arm started to throb. Both men grasped their forearms, then pulled up their sleeves. Each stared at the Dark Marks starting to glow and at each other in understanding.

All around the prison, other Death Eaters reacted to the sudden glow. Most were long-time residents whose minds were far gone by their imprisonment. But others knew what was happening and were instantly alert. The guards, unfortunately, had no such preparation.

The attack came from all sides and without any warning whatsoever. With a series of inhuman whines, entire sections of the fortress were blasted away simultaneously. Mortar that withstood the elements for centuries was destroyed like plywood, hurling debris in the air.

From their cell, Malfoy and Pettigrew saw an Auror racing forward. He stopped, staring in shock at something they couldn't see. He raised his wand but before he could get off a spell, a bolt of green energy struck him. He froze in place, letting out a shriek of agony as it appeared like he was turned into a living x-ray, his skeleton highlighted for one instant. It faded and his dead body slumped to the ground.

Another blast hit the door, knocking it open before the two startled men. They stared as what appeared to be a large pepper-shaped device with a domed head wheeled up to them. "Lu-Cius Mal-Foy. Pe-ter Pett-i-grew," it said in a flat mechanical voice. "You are free. Port-key is at end of hall-way."

"What…are you?" Pettigrew gasped.

The two men stiffened as they felt the familiar chill of an approaching Dementor. The mechanical figure simply turned its head, the arm from it letting out another blast of green energy. It struck the Dementor dead on and with an inhuman howl that threatened to shatter eardrums, it disintegrated in a cloud of darkness.

"It…killed a Dementor," Peter whispered.

"You can't kill a Dementor," Malfoy replied, stunned by what he saw.

"I have ex-ter-minated it," the…thing replied. It turned back to them, its arm still glowing with heat. "You will go now."

The two men exchanged a long look and then raced to the hallway. Other Death Eaters were already gathering by the waiting Portkey, flashes of light heralding their exits. Down the hallways there would come the sounds of blasting green fire and the dying screams of Aurors and Dementors. Bellatrix, her hair a wild frame behind her, was laughing madly as she touched the key. Lucius took one last look at his prison and moved to grab it as well. As he did, he tried to fight the feeling within him that he was leaving one prison for something far worse.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One of the few cells remaining occupied by only one person was at the far end of the hallway. Barty Crouch Jr had heard the chaos and was eager to be let out himself. He paced by his bunk, looking to the doorway, the screams of the dead exciting him. The door soon opened and he smiled and stepped forward.

He stopped as a figure stood before him, dressed in a dark suit with a smile on his face. "Sorry, Barty," he said in a snide tone. "But I'm afraid I have other plans for you."

Crouch frowned. "What do you mean?"

The man examined him and shook his head. "Quite the resemblance, I must admit. Ah, well, the games of chance the universe play are always amazing."

Crouch shook his head as he moved forward. "I don't have time for this."

"You're right. Neither do I." The man pulled out a long mechanical device and aimed it at Crouch. A glow of energy hit him Crouch cried out as he was pressed back to the wall. He tried to move but remained pinned as the man stepped forward.

"Nothing personal, Mr. Crouch," the Valeyard said with a sneer. "But I'm afraid I have only one use for you at the moment. And that's as a wonderful distraction."

Looking into those dark and cold eyes, Crouch felt fear clutch at him. He opened his mouth but the only thing that came out were screams as Barty Crouch, who had spent so long hiding behind another face, found his own fate sealed by the fact someone else had taken his.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Again, I know it's a bit short. Hopefully will be able to get out more soon once my computer's back up and running. All comments welcomed.**


	8. Striking at the Hearts

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

**Striking at the Hearts**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Despite only having known the Doctor a short time, everyone had come to the conclusion that the man had a major character trait: His apparent belief that everyone knew exactly what he was talking about. Since his statement about the Master, he had been grave as if expecting everyone to react with shock and worry but in truth, they were pretty much baffled.

"The Master?" Tonks said. "I take it from the name he wasn't a popular sort?"

"Not one bit," the Doctor replied. "He's cunning, a brilliant inventor, a genius really." He let out a long breath. "Unfortunately, he's also a sociopath homicidal maniac of the highest order who makes your friend Voldemort look like a candidate for sainthood."

"He can't be that bad," Herimone scoffed.

The Doctor gave her a dark look. "Herimone, I've known a lot of people who would commit genocide upon an entire planet. The Master is the only one who would do it just to break the monotony of a boring day."

Harry stroked his chin. "But you said you were the only Time Lord left."

"I thought I was," the Doctor said. "But he's made a habit of surviving the impossible. He burned through all twelve of his regenerations in record time and went about stealing the bodies of others to survive. I had heard the Time Lords resurrected him to aid in the Time War. He must have found a way to get out of that."

"What does he want?" Sirius demanded.

"Power," the Doctor said. "And he doesn't care how many he has to kill to get it."

There was a commotion outside and the door burst open to reveal Mad-Eye Moody. He appeared out of breath, his one good eye rolling about. "Moody, what is it?" Black asked, instantly alert.

Moody took a breath. "Bad news. There's been a mass breakout at Azkaban."

"What?!" a half dozen voices cried.

Moody nodded. "Dementors were scattered like nothing…we've counted thirty Death Eaters out so far…" He paused to look at Sirius and Tonks. "Including Bellatrix Lestrange."

The two stiffened at the news of their unwanted relative. "There was…one fatality recorded among the prisoners," Moody said, his face grave as he held up his staff. At an incantation, an image appeared of a cell. The interior was marked with blood and the broken remains of a body. Its chest appeared to have been sliced open with several of his organs visible but his face was clear.

"Is that…" Remus began.

"Barty Crouch Jr," Minerva concluded in a hushed voice.

Everyone looked at the face contorted in agony…then to the one that greatly resembled it which was marked with a pale look. It wasn't surprising that it was Snape who broke the silence with a dry observation.

"I do believe someone is sending you a message, Doctor."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The dark chamber was bristling with activity as the various Death Eaters gathered together. It was easy to tell which were the recently freed prisoners as they seemed more haggard and a bit more frenzied than the others. Lucius Malfoy was an exception, dressed once more in his fine suit and cape. His white hair was a bit thinner than it had been before his imprisonment but still retained his snooty standing.

Nearby, Bellatrix Lestrange played with a strand of her curly black hair. She was clad in a tight outfit that enhanced her lovely figure and might have been seen as quite beautiful if not for the utter madness in her face and eyes. Never the most stable of individuals to begin with, her years in Azkaban had pushed her to utter insanity. Even the other Death Eaters were giving her a wide berth as they faced the throne.

Voldemort stood, a twisted smile on his face as he looked at his followers. "My loyal subjects," he whispered. "It has been too long since I had so many of you together. Too long since we had this opportunity to bring the battle to the accursed mudblood lovers. Now…now we have the power and the strength to take the battle to them as we want." There were nods and murmurs of agreement as Voldemort paced.

"We shall begin tonight by striking at the heart of the magic world," he said. "The Ministry itself. We shall bring that accursed building down around them and send a message to all that we will not and cannot be stopped!"

There were several shouts of approval but Malfoy was frowning. "What of the Aurors, My Lord? And Dumbledore?"

Voldemort sneered and raised his wand. Malfoy stiffened in anticipation of a curse but Voldemort merely wagged the tip toward him. "I shall excuse that as tension due to your recent incarceration, Malfoy," he hissed. "But question me again…" He let the threat trail away. "I've already arranged that Dumbledore will not a factor and the Aurors…we shall deal with." He raised his arms up high. "Tonight, we show the world that we are strong and we are unstoppable and any who oppose us shall fall! We are the Death Eaters and we will not be denied!"

A roar of approval went up from his followers and Voldemort sneered. The attack was going to go as planned, thanks to help from Tarsan. Which of course meant that the man's usefulness to Voldemort had ceased. If he should be at the Ministry…then he would fall with the rest. Fall to his new rule.

And Potter…oh would Potter fall as well. And once he was gone…none would oppose him ever.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Any witnesses to the attack?" Sirius asked Mooney.

The man sighed. "Not many survivors. They're being fixed up now but we've got some dead personnel. And from what we can tell, they were killed the same way Umbridge was."

"Damn," the Doctor muttered. "More than one Dalek then. That complicates matters immensely."

"What does the Ministry say?" Tonks asked.

"Haven't heard yet," Mooney replied. "We sent the message, I assume Dumbledore is talking to others about it. But we haven't gotten any new orders yet."

Minerva frowned. "That's not like Albus. He'd be quick to decide things on something like this."

"Perhaps he's trying to keep it quiet in case there's a spy in the Ministry?" Harry suggested.

Snape was picking at a piece of lint on his jacket. "I've not heard the Dark Lord mention one. Then again, he might be keeping it quiet for his own reasons." He rose up. "Speaking of which, I'd best be off to find him. A time like this, he would expect me there."

"Give my best to Pettigrew if you see him!" The Doctor cheerfully called out as Snape headed out of the room. He turned back to the others, sobering. "We'd best be prepared then. If the Master is involved then you can believe this is only step one in a much more complicated plot. He does nothing halfway."

"You really do know him," Herimone noted.

The Doctor shrugged. "We were…friends in a way. Many lifetimes ago. Even then, he had a bit of darkness to him. As he grew, that expanded into madness and a lust for power. Losing his original Time Lord body hardly helped matters at all. He's a creature of darkness now and one who's incredibly difficult to battle."

Sirius managed a smirk at the Doctor. "Don't worry about that, Doctor. We've got experience with that sort of thing."

The Doctor did not smile. "No, you don't, Mr. Black. For all his power, Voldemort is still human. The Master never was. And now…" His eyes grew darker. "I wonder if he's even a living being sometimes."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

With a flash, Tonks, Moody, Remus and Sirius appeared at the Ministry and headed down the hallways toward the Minister's office. "Moody, get the Aurors together," Black said. "We'll see to Dumbledore."

The one-eyed man nodded as he moved off. The other three knocked on the main door. When there was no answer, Remus frowned and entered. "Hello? Dumbledor?"

Malcom Tarsan was behind the desk, looking up with surprise. "Remus! What are you doing here?"

"That'd be my question," Remus said as they entered. "Where's the Minister?"

Tarsan shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine. I came in to find this." He held out a parchment of paper. "Albus says he's going to attend to some personal errand, told me to hold down the fort here."

Sirius frowned as he looked it over. "Hmmm….it's his writing all right. Not just the handwriting but only Albus would use language like this. But why would he just up and leave?"

Tarsan spread his hands out. "He's done it from time to time to find some sort of weapon or knowledge against Voldemort but no idea what it's about this time." He smiled. "Knowing him, he'll be right back here by dinner, acting like he never left."

"That's Albus," Tonks admitted. She let out a sigh. "Listen, Malcom, we have a serious problem. We think whatever killed Umbridge was…" She paused, realizing how insane this was going to sound to even a wizard. "Hell, it wasn't of this planet, all right?"

Tarsan stared. "Excuse me?" His dubiousness grew as they told him what the Doctor had said about the Daleks and the Master. "Aliens? Are you serious?" As Remus opened his mouth, he held up a hand. "Please, I've heard the 'no, he's Sirius' joke enough times already."

Sirius let out a long sigh. "I know it sounds insane, Malcom but this is for real. We think whatever these things are, they're working with Voldemort and that's big trouble for us."

Malcom rose and paced in the office. "Damn…" He thought for a moment before glancing up at Sirius. "All right, Black. I know you don't make claims unless you know you can back them up. I'll get in touch with some of the other officials and we'll start searching for these…whatever they are."

The trio nodded as they headed to the door. "We'll check the Diviniation department and see if they know anything."

Tarsan nodded as they left. He waited before letting a thin smile come to his face. "The Master, eh?" He chuckled. "Oh, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor…you are in for a surprise, aren't you?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The groan of the TARDIS faded as the ship fully materialized. The door opened and the Doctor emerged, taking a look around the hallways of the Ministry basement. He checked his pockets for his sonic screwdriver and checked a golden watch he kept in his pocket. He looked about as he called over his shoulder. "You can come out now, we've landed."

There was a pause and then Harry appeared as he removed his invisibility cloak. "How long have you known I was there?"

"Since before you slipped through the TARDIS door," the Doctor answered. "It's my ship, I'd know if I had an intruder on board."

Harry tossed the cloak aside as he looked to the man. "When I saw you heading off on your own, I figured I'd go along in case you need help."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Do I strike you as a man who requires help?'

"Quite frequently, I'd wager," Harry dryly said.

The Doctor smiled a bit at that. "True at times," he noted.

"So why'd you come here alone?" Harry glanced around.

"Something struck me," the Doctor answered. "You saw me fiddling with the TARDIS scanners when I entered." As Harry nodded, the Doctor continued. "Now that I know the Daleks and the Master are involved, I was able to set them to search around for any non-Earth technology."

"And it led you here?" Harry frowned as he looked around. "To the Ministry?"

"Yes. Worrisome, that, wouldn't you agree?" The Doctor reached into his coat to pull out his sonic screwdriver. He clicked it on to let out a series of beeping sounds. He moved it back and forth down the hallways and the clicks grew louder and faster. The Doctor headed down the hall, Harry following.

"I've never been in this section of the Ministry before," Harry whispered.

"Always lovely to find new places," the Doctor said in a friendly tone. "So why'd you leave Ron and Herimone behind?"

"Only so much room under a cloak."

The Doctor smiled at him. "Why'd you really leave them behind?"

Harry shrugged. "In case things got bad, they're safer where they are."

The Doctor nodded. "I can understand that. Had to do it myself several times over the years." He let out a sigh as they turned a corner. "You should do your best to keep them close, Harry. Friendship is very important as I've long discovered."

Harry shook his head. "It's me Voldemort wants for some reason. The closer they are, the more danger they're in."

"Cutting yourself off isn't an answer either," the Doctor noted in a softer tone. "A woman I met recently told me I needed someone, if only to stop me if I came too close to crossing the line. I didn't believe her then…but maybe she has a point."

Harry let out a long sigh. "It's just so hard dealing with the pressure."

"At least you have your world and your people, Harry Potter," the Doctor noted with a slight smile. "Be grateful for that."

Harry was silent for a few moments as they walked on. "How do you…deal with it?" he softly asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

The Doctor's face was light but Harry could see the pain in his eyes. "I was always…distant from them. I suppose that helped. I almost never went to Gallifrey after my initial self-exile. Aside from that…" He shrugged. "You just have to find a reason to keep going."

"And you have one?"

The Doctor smiled. "This planet. I don't know why I love it so much. You're all such petty, selfish, small-minded creatures and yet…yet, I just can't help but defend it." He shook himself as his screwdriver clicked faster. "All right, enough of the maudlin travels. I've got something close by."

"You really enjoy avoiding a topic, don't you?" Harry noted.

"It's a well-earned skill," The Doctor dryly said as he made his way to a large chamber. The door was sealed but a blast from the screwdriver opened it up. He and Harry entered…and stopped in place, staring at the sight before them.

It appeared to be a large pile of rock atop of which stood a stone archway. Clouds shimmered within the opening and each man felt a chill upon seeing it. It was the only decoration in the otherwise deserted circular room.

"What is that?" Harry whispered.

"You're the wizard," the Doctor replied as he stepped in. "You should know better than I."

"It's called the Veil." The two started and turned toward one corner of the room. There was the sound of footsteps as a figure emerged. Malcom Tarsan smiled as he entered the dim light the archway was giving off. "A gateway to a realm even the wisest of wizards knows little to nothing about."

"Malcom Tarsan?" Harry frowned, recognizing the man from the newspapers. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just preparing for my little drama to begin its first major act," Tarsan said, his voice cold yet containing a dark humor that set both men on edge. He glanced at the Doctor and smiled. "Ah, Doctor. I see your latest regeneration is a bit of an improvement over the last."

The Doctor's face set as he realized who was facing him. "I see." He stepped before Harry, his hands in his pockets, his face calm but mind whirling. "Of course. You would pick a place in high government. You always did have that need for power…Master."

Tarsan threw his head back to laugh. "The Master? You truly think I'm that egotistical blowhard?" He wiped at his eyes. "Oh, Doctor. How you managed to survive this long is beyond me. But I am grateful because if you didn't, I wouldn't be here at all."

The Doctor frowned. "What?"

Tarsan shook his head. "Come now, Doctor. You haven't pieced it together yet? Perhaps this will help." He leaned forward and his smile grew. "I believe you once called me the Railyard."

The Doctor's face went white, his eyes open and his jaw dropping. The look of shock and horror on his face made Harry Potter's own spine chill. He had no idea who this man was…but he knew things were about to get far, far worse.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sirius, Remus and Tonks were headed down a hallway of the Ministry toward the Auror meeting room. "All right," Sirius was saying. "We get on the horn to everyone, we start patrols, we begin searching for the escapees and…"

"Naughty, naughty, cousins." The trio spun to see Bellatrix Lestrange standing behind them, her wand out and a mad smile on her face. A trio of Death Eaters were behind her, all aiming wands at the others. "Why waste such a wonderful reunion?"

"Bella," Sirius said in a careful tone. "I see Azkaban hasn't improved your temper any. Although it has done wonders for your hair."

She snarled and aimed her wand. "Careful, careful. The Dark Lord wants you alive…but he never said you had to be intact."

Tonks smiled. "Don't know how you got in here, Bella but this place is going to be crawling with Aurors in a few minutes."

"Yes," she said and smiled. "And they're going to give up just like you will."

Sirius raised a bushy eyebrow. "I knew you were nuts Bella, but still...Why would we surrender?"

"You will surrender."

The trio spun around and stared at the Dalek before them. Despite the Doctor's descriptions, they were unprepared for the sheer aura of evil the machine gave out. Its blasters were aimed right at them and ready to fire. "You will surrender or the children will die."

"Children?" Remus stiffened. "What children?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

For more years than anyone could remember, Argus Filch had loyally, if rather sternly, served Hogwarts. That service had ended.

The caretaker's body lay in the main dining hall, his eyes staring blankly upward, a slight char around his chest. The Dalek that had killed him was standing nearby, swiveling its arms around the room. Terrified children were bunched together, the differences between houses forgotten as the killer androids methodically took over the castle. The teachers had been as caught off guard by their sudden appearance as everyone else and had realized that resistance was met with deadly force. It also became clear that any attack with result in the death of a number of students and so they had been forced to back away.

Minerva sat with a small group, trying her best to appear utterly calm as the Daleks roamed about. Herimone was in near shock at the sudden appearance of a foe she had never heard of while Ron was trying to calm her down. Even Luna appeared jarred by the events around them.

Amid the chaos of the takeover and the screams of students of fear and the blasts the Daleks gave out to "motivate" them, no one noticed one blond-haired youth managing to activate a private portkey.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_He remembered it still._

_It had been during his sixth incarnation when the Time Lords had brought him on trial, accusing him of massive interference in time, more than usual for him. Their prosecutor was the Valeyard, a dark man who seemed intent on making him guilty. The trial that followed showed glimpses of his past and the future but somehow…changed, made to show him at his worst, events he knew were untrue._

_It was the Master, of all people, who proved his innocence, for his own reasons, of course. He revealed that the Time Lord Council had, in an attempt to keep their dark secrets, caused the future destruction of Earth. He revealed that the Valeyard was their agent. And he also revealed the worst truth of all._

_"There is evil in all of us, Doctor. Even you. The Master is an amalgamation of all the darker parts of your nature, somewhere between your twelfth and final incarnation. And may I say, you do not improve with age."_

_Somehow, the Valeyard had gained enough of a persona to try and gain his own freedom. He'd been defeated and the Doctor had hoped that would be the last of him. But he was always fearful of that darkness, particularly within his seventh persona. But still…He'd hoped it was done._

_And now he was here._

"How?" He barely recognized his own voice, so soft and still.

The Valeyard smiled. "A Time War has many effects, dear Doctor. Reality is redone, shifted about and time itself is rendered malleable and paradoxes abound. You of course know the effects done to the Eye thanks to Gallifrey's destruction. Enough to give me my own life. My own power, my own set of regenerations." He smiled at the Doctor. "This, of course, means that I don't need you alive anymore to ensure my own existence."

He paced carefully around the rock, the Doctor facing him. Harry was nearby, his wand out and ready to use it if this Valeyard attempted any tricks. At the moment, he was satisfied simply with talking to the stunned Time Lord.

"So now I am alive and free," the Valeyard continued. "And I have you to partially thank for my being in this position, Doctor. Had you not cleared Sirius Black, Fudge wouldn't have been forced to resign and I wouldn't have gained my place so fast." He smiled. "I suppose I owe you for the chaos that is to follow. More blood on your hands, Doctor. How many nights will that keep you up?"

The Doctor tried to ignore the taunt as he moved back a bit. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Tell me what you want. Why the Ministry? Why the magical world?"

The Valeyard's smile grew. "You're still confusing me with the Master, Doctor. You forget, I was a part of you. I know how you think. I know you're stalling for time while trying to think of a new strategy. I know you think there's a way out of this. And I know that I'm sick and tired of remembering all the enemies who had a chance to kill you and wasted it talking."

In a flash, he had pulled out his "wand" and aimed it at the Doctor's chest. "Good-bye, Doctor."

The Doctor tried to move but the blast of energy hit him dead square in the chest. He let out a loud yell as he was sent sailing back onto the pile of rocks. Harry raised his wand but the Valeyard, with a sweep of his weapon, sent him sailing back with a wave of energy. He spun back to the Doctor and hit the button again. Once more, the air shimmered as a force wave struck the Doctor dead on, sending him stumbling backward…

And into the Veil.

"DOCTOR!" Harry yelled out as he saw the man hit the strange cloud. The Doctor's face was one of shock before it seemed to settle into acceptance. His body seemed to fade away, growing ghostly and immaterial. His eyes locked onto Harry's and he managed a small smile. He opened his mouth to say something but then seemed to be pulled away into the ghostly void and vanished before Harry's eyes.

Harry's breath was harried, his eyes in shock as the man he had grown to truly like and respect was taken before his eyes. He looked from him to the Valeyard, whose face showed a smile of pure triumph as he moved to the fallen wizard.

"Don't be upset, boy," he said in a tone of fake sympathy. "It's not like it's the end of the world." His lips broke into a wide-toothed grin. "It's just the end of _your _world."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**So as you can tell, things are going to get just a tad bit darker from here on in. Next chapter will increase the chaos as the Dark Lord learns that dealing with aliens never quite works out well.**


	9. Darker Lord

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

**Darker Lord**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Harry swallowed, trying to calm his fear as he saw the Valeyard stepping forward. The man tapped that metallic wand in his hand as he smirked at the young wizard. "So, this is the great Harry Potter. You're smaller than I expected, in so many ways."

Harry managed to raise his wand up and aimed it at the man striding forward. With a sweep of his hands, the Valeyard sent it flying away. He grinned at Harry, a dark and twisted smile without true mirth that made the boy's skin crawl. "So….Harry Potter…what shall I be doing with you?"

Harry was about to reply when a searing pain struck his head. He gasped and held a hand to his forehead, his fingers touching the scar. He could feel the heat from it and his heart plunged further as he knew what that meant. It took a moment for him to realize the chill in the room wasn't just from his own feelings but the dark presence that had entered.

"Hello, Potter," Lord Voldemort hissed as he entered. His black cloak flowed behind him as he slithered forward, that twisted mouth pulled back in a triumphant smile. "I believe this will go much differently than our last encounter."

Harry tried to block out the pain of the scar as he backed up against a wall. Voldemort was moving in, his wand held up. He glanced to the Valeyard and smirked. "I do believe you had the right idea with that Doctor fellow, Tarsan. Simply kill the boy with no hesitation, no wasting time boasting or bragging. Finish it and move on."

Harry swallowed and spoke. "Just like that? Right here and now? Not in front of your underlings as an example?"

Voldemort paused to think and Harry felt a flicker of hope. It died as the Dark Lord shook his head. "No. No, I think presenting your dead body to everyone will more than suffice to break the spirits of the Ministry and prove my superiority to everyone."

He raised his hands, his smile growing, obviously taking his time with this. Harry pressed against the wall, his body tense. He knew dodging the bolt would be almost impossible but it was better than nothing. Harry saw Voldemort open his mouth, the wand pointed right at him and tensed up to move…

Without warning, there was a blur as a figure nearby dropped an invisibility cloak and appeared out of thin air. Harry, Voldemort and the Valeyard all stared in surprise at Draco Malfoy standing before them. The man reached forward to grasp Harry and threw Voldemort a quick smile. "Sorry, have to dash." He reached into his pocket and with a flash of light, he and Harry vanished.

The Valeyard winced at the loud scream of outrage Voldemort let out. He rubbed his temples before shrugging. "Oh, well," he muttered to himself. "I suppose we'll just go without him then."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Harry let out a gasp as he found himself appearing in a darkened room. He looked about, obviously jarred at all that had happened. He saw Malfoy tossing his cloak aside and moving to a nearby table. "Stop gaping, Potter," he snapped. "We need to move quickly."

"Where are we?" Harry asked as he looked around.

"My family estate," Malfoy said as he pulled open drawers to take out several packets. "I needed to pick up a few items, things to get us money and such before we get going."

"We?" Harry asked as he stepped forward. "What do you mean 'we'? Why are you helping me? Why even give a damn about me? Why-----"

Draco whirled and pointed at him. "Let's get this straight right now, Potter. I don't like you. In fact, I bloody well can't stand you. But…." He drew a breath as if pained. "As much as I hate to say it…the fact is that seeing you get killed by….You-Know-Who isn't something I want."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Really? I would have thought otherwise given how you've acted toward me the last four years."

Draco sniffed. "I'm not making apologies for it. But, fact is, finding out your own father supported a Dark Lord and losing a lot of your money has led me to reconsider a few things." He shook his head. "That's an issue for another time. For right now, like it or not, we're all each other have."

"What about Ron or Herimone?" Harry asked.

Draco shook his head. "Hogwarts has been taken. Some…things have managed to roll in and subdue everyone. They're holding them hostage to get the Aurors to back down."

Harry's jaw dropped at that. "Oh, no…We have to go there!"

"And what?" Malfoy barked. "Just the two of us against some force that can withstand magic bolts? We'd be slaughtered."

"We can't just stay here and do nothing!" Harry yelled.

"I know!" Malfoy fired back. He sobered and ran a hand through his hair. "But we have to be careful what we do. Tarsan's in with Voldemort which means we can't trust anyone in the Ministry right now." He sighed. "Assuming there is a Ministry now."

"So what do we bloody do?" Harry snapped.

Malfoy held up his papers. "First, we make a withdrawal. If we're going on the run, we'll need some money to sustain ourselves. After that…Well, we'll figure it out as we go."

Harry stared at him before letting out a short chuckle. "You and me on the lam together."

"I know," Malfoy was forced to admit. "A week ago, I'd have laughed at the idea too. But, much as it makes me ill to be in the same room with you, we're going to have to put aside our own problems for now."

Harry nodded. "Right….But hang a mo. I thought your family accounts were closed by the Ministry."

Draco smiled. "Potter, you still have a lot to learn about how true wizard families work. One of the top rules we have is simple: never have all your resources in plain sight."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Voldemort took in a massive breath, a strange sight considering he had no nose. "Victory," he hissed. "It has been far too long since I inhaled its sweet, sweet scent."

"You wrote excruciatingly bad poetry in your youth, I can tell," the Valeyard dryly stated. "Published by the school magazine, no doubt."

The two men stood in one of the main central areas of the Ministry gazing down at the assembled groups underneath the balcony. Death Eaters surrounded the area, all with smiles of triumph, wands pointed at the Aurors and the civilians and workers unlucky enough to be on duty this day. Most were trying to appear calm but several were clearly terrified. It wasn't just the threat of death from the forces but the very sight of the Dark Lord in the Ministry with his assembled hordes. It was their worst nightmare come to life while it was Voldemort's dream come true.

He stepped forward to gaze down upon them all, a wicked smile on his face. "Gentlemen, ladies and mudblood lovers!" he called out. "I have dreamed of this moment for more years than I care to remember. And the reality is even better than I hoped." He smiled at his minions. "My loyal Death-Eaters…for too long, we have been forced to hide in the shadows and strike from the darkness. But today…today, we have taken that which always should have been ours! Today, we are no longer the dirt the Ministry wipes its boots upon. Today, we _are_ the Ministry!"

Loud cheers went up as the Valeyard just rolled his eyes. "Rassilon, and I thought the Rani went on and on," he muttered under his breath. He checked his watch and nodded slowly. Before him, Voldemort was still going on his rant, leaning down to leer at the captives. "Sadly, that Potter brat elected to flee rather than face me so I am unable to present his mangled corpse as I had planned. But rest assured, I will have that boy's corpse to show and prove your precious savior cannot help you now."

"You don't know Harry," Sirius called out from the crowd. "He'll come for you, Voldemort. He'll come and show you as the arrogant prat you are."

Voldemort peered down. "Ah, the famed Sirius Black. So nice to finally make your acquaintance at last." He grinned as he fired a curse that sent Sirius down with a yell of pain. "Remind me to have Wormtail meet you and renew your old friendship later."

Nearby, Snape was glancing about, seemingly glaring at the captives but if one looked closely, they might see the slight nervousness deep in his eyes. "My Lord, should we not depart? There may be reinforcements coming and…"

"Oh, I doubt that, Servus," Voldemort said as he turned to him, his smile vanishing. "That signal you tried to get out never made it to the contact point. Even if it had, well, with Hogwarts under my control, I don't see word getting out soon."

Servus started. "Wh…what do you mean, my Lord?"

Voldemort sighed dramatically. "Oh, Servus, please. I've had Tarsan working with me for months, you honestly thought I never knew you were spying on me for Dumbledore?"

Snape swallowed just as the two nearest Death Eaters took hold of his arms, knocking his wand aside. Voldemort sneered as Snape was pushed into the center of the room with the rest of the captives. "Ah, Servus. I am disappointed. Such a fine Slytherian and now you end up with your old Gryffindor tormentors. It is such a tragedy."

The Valeyard was checking his watch again as he moved forward. Voldemort smiled to his supporters. "Now that we've dealt with that, it's time to move onto our next conquest." He tapped his wand in his hands as he gazed at the captives. "I believe a liberal dispersing of bodies thought Diagon Alley will show the new power we possess. From there, we shall give those left a chance to surrender before…"

"All right, I've had enough of this."

It was hard to tell who was more surprised at Tarsan's interruption, the captives or Voldemort. The man stepped forward with a tired expression as if he was answering a cue he was overdue for. To the amazement of everyone, he actually reached out and pushed Voldemort aside as he moved to the balcony. "Ladies and gentlemen, I offer my sincere apologies you had to listen to all that rot. Believe me, I suffered with you all equally."

"Fine thing to say when you're up there with them, Tarsan!" Tonks snapped.

"Don't call me Tarsan, shifter. Call me by my true name. I am the Valeyard. I think it's important you all remember that."

Voldemort had recovered from being shoved aside to move toward the alien with a dark expression. "You dare…"

"Yes, I do," the Valeyard fired back with a calm expression. "I have put up with your ranting and your raving and your arrogant claims of superiority for long enough, Riddle."

Voldemort's eyes widened at the sound of his real name. "Do not call me that!"

"Why not?" the Valeyard smiled. "Why not let everyone know you came from mudblood parents yourself?" He shook his head. "Honestly, all that boasting about the superiority of wizards and you are such a hypocrite. Really, I'm doing everyone a favor with this."

"With what?" Voldemort asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

The Valeyard looked at his watch and held up a hand with all five fingers spread. As everyone watched in confusion, he began to pull one finger in after another in a countdown. When his fist clenched, there was an eruption of sound from high above followed by the sounds of loud screaming mixed with blasts of energy.

"What the hell is that?" Malfoy cried out.

"That," the Valeyard said with a light smile. "Would be the selection of Death Eaters you left upstairs along with the members of the Wizgnmont they were guarding. By now, of course, they're all dead."

Voldemort started. "They…what?"

The Valeyard nodded as he reached under his coat. "Now…if I'm right and I always am…" He pulled a large orb out and held it before him. Those around him started, wondering how he got something so big into his coat without them noticing. With a whisper, the Valeyard sent the orb floating above the chamber. His other hand aimed his "wand" at the orb and pressed two buttons.

A blinding flash of blue light poured from above. It resembled the flowing shape of a Dementor but somehow different. The streams of blue energy flowed about the room, each pausing for a moment to scream out.

Scream out and for the briefest of seconds, those below could see the faces of people in the clouds, in agony and mouths open with loud howls. Then, one by one, each blue form flew right into the orb, which glowed brighter and seemed to increase in size before the shocked eyes of all.

The blue glow illuminated the features of the Valeyard, which were pulled into a smile of pure triumph. "At last…" he whispered. "At long, long last…I have it."

"Have what?" Voldemort demanded. "What is going on? This was not the plan!"

"Actually," the Valeyard said, turning to him. "It was always the plan. My plan. The plan I enacted to gain the power I've always desired and needed. The magical power of a wizard, enhanced upon death and brought into a single energy source…" He held the orb up and his smile deepened. "Just the power I need."

Voldemort snarled. "You…dare…betray me?!"

The Valeyard looked off as if thoughtful. "Technically, I'd have been actually working with you in order to betray you. But seeing as how I was playing you for a fool ever since the day we met, I think treason is the wrong term here."

Voldemort snarled and reached for his wand. Before he could raise it up, there was a crash and a dozen Daleks floated in from above, their weapons primed and aimed down at the wizards. Several screams went out as the Daleks herded them closer together. One Death Eater moved to raise his wand but a Dalek blasted him. The man howled in agony, his skeleton briefly illuminated at the green glow as he collapsed. The Valeyard whispered and once again, there was the sight of the blue energy pouring out of the man and into the globe.

He glanced down at them all and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not killing any of you. At least not yet. And your children will be safe as well. The older the wizard, the more power they give off so I'll be waiting a few years to sacrifice them."

"Leave them alone!" Arthur Wealsey called out from the crowd with an angry expression. "So help me, you harm any of my children…"

A blaster bolt erupted inches from his spot, cutting off his words. The Valeyard's eyes were narrowed as he gazed down. "Watch you words, wizard before they end my patience with you."

He turned around. "As for you, Mr. Riddle…" He stopped as he saw the end of a shadow escaping into a cloud before him. He frowned as he realized the dark wizard had teleported away. "Damn…well, I suppose that spares me hours of ranting and raving and thus eases my peace of mind." He glanced back down to the captives and motioned to the Daleks. "Begin the transfer to Azkaban. I'll be seeing to Hogwarts myself."

"As you command, Lea-der," the head Dalek intoned as the murderous robots moved toward the captives. The Valeyard gazed at the orb as it floated into his open hand, his eyes gleaming with malice and madness. "All those centuries of protecting this miserable little rock, Doctor," he whispered. "And it'll be the stupid apes that aid in its own destruction and my plans."

His cold, mocking and triumphant laughter echoed through the halls of the Ministry and was more chilling to all who heard it than anything Voldemort could come up with.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Harry glanced about nervously as he pulled the wool cap lower over his ears. "You could have picked a better place to hide galleons, Malfoy."

"Shut it, Potter," Draco snapped as he pulled his hood closer over his head. Harry had insisted that Malfoy cover his blonde locks, going so far as to threaten to hex him if he didn't. Draco had gone along with it and thus the two were as well-disguised as they could be as they walked down the streets of London.

The two were in dark jeans, dark shirts and jackets, just two teenagers amid the crowds walking down the streets. Draco had led Harry to a small lockbox at a bank where he had managed to get a few hundred galleons out. "Your father actually keeps stuff at a muggle bank?" Harry had asked in surprise.

"My idea, actually," Draco said. "I know, I know, it's slumming but, face it, the last place anyone would look for assets." He reached into the box and produced a long wand, handing it to Harry. "Here. Not as good as yours, of course, but at least you're not defenseless."

Harry took it, nodding. "Thanks." He paused as he realized he had actually thanked Draco Malfoy for something. "Don't look at me like that, Potter," the other man snapped as he shut the lockbox and put it back in its slot. "Doesn't make us friends in the least. I just don't want to have to face any of those things alone."

"Caring as ever, Malfoy," Harry noted as they had left the bank.

Now they were heading down the streets, Draco cursing as he looked at the map in his hands. "Don't these muggles care about proper directions?" he complained. "Or at least laying out a city in a way that makes sense?"

Harry smirked. "From what I've heard, it's even worse in America." He sobered as he glanced around. "Where are we headed?"

"One of our other homes was also held by the Ministry," Draco told him. "It's a downtown place and I'm betting the guard there will be light. It should be enough to just give us shelter and make our plans for the next thing to do." He cursed as he turned the map sideways. "That is, if I can figure out how to get there…"

"Never been in the city?"

"Not without a guide," Draco said. "And at least then, I could use magic to pinpoint our destination or even floo there."

"We can't," Harry quickly pointed out. "Ten to one, the Valeyard is keeping an eye on all magics and waiting for something like this. We use our magic, it's a homing beacon to him."

"Yes, thank you, Potter, I would have never figured that out," Draco sarcastically said.

Harry glared. "Honestly, Malfoy, if we're going to be working together, you could at least be civil and curb your 'I'm better than you attitude.'"

Draco glared at him. "The reason why I have an attitude of 'I'm better than you' is because I am better, Potter. I'm a pureblood from a rich family…"

"Your father was imprisoned and most of your fortune's gone," Harry interrupted. "And I don't seem to recall your old toadies hanging around with you when you came back. Looks like with the money gone, so's your popularity. Meanwhile, I have actual friends, actual family and you're the one helping me out. So drop the bloody high and mighty act already."

Draco whirled, his mouth open to deliver a retort when something caught his eye. He glanced over and his frown deepened. "Damn."

Harry's gaze followed him and saw a pair of men in familiar robes on the opposite side of the street. He didn't need the masks to know who they were. "Move," he hissed as he grabbed Draco's arm and started to pull him away. Draco didn't need much encouraging to start running off. Harry glanced behind to see the two Death Eaters pushing aside people to chase them.

"Move, Potter!" Draco hissed as he increased his pace. Harry was glancing behind again to see the Death Eaters also moving faster. "Somehow, I doubt they'll care who my father is!"

"Normally, I'd be gratified that you realize his name doesn't solve everything," Harry said. "But right now, we need somewhere to hide." He and Draco raced around a corner just as a large truck moved across the street, slowing their pursuers down.

Harry paused to catch his breath and look around, his eyes raking over the street before them, seeing no alleys or safe havens. He stopped suddenly as he saw…something nearby. "Malfoy," he grabbed the other boy's arm and pointed across the street. "You see that?"

Malfoy frowned as he narrowed his eyes. "It's…a blur," he murmured. "I can't quite make it out…"

"It looks like an opening," Harry quickly said. "Maybe it's a shielding spell, somewhere that can give us refuge."

Draco looked behind to see the truck starting to move again and took a deep breath. "Let's go." He and Harry raced across the street, ignoring the traffic to get to that strange shimmering point. As they did, they could see a street platform before a large glass structure with a waterfall around it. He and Draco stepped up onto the platform and whirled around, hands on their wands.

The two Death Eaters stopped and glanced about, seemingly confused. They looked straight ahead, right at the two boys but there was no reaction to them. They kept looking around, circling each other before, with a nod, moving to race in other directions.

Harry and Draco stared at one another in confusion. "They didn't see us," Harry said. "They were looking right at us…and they didn't see us."

Draco looked around them. "It's not just them," he said. "All these other people, not even giving us a glance…"

"It's a perception filter," a voice behind them said. "It's supposed to make you pretty much invisible as you stand on this spot."

The two boys whirled, wands up as they stared at the figure before them. He was a handsome man in his thirties dressed in dark slacks, black boots and a long coat. His face seemed to carry a permanent smirk as his dark hair was cut short. "So I'm pretty surprised to see you two here," he said, his voice carrying an American accent. He glanced to Harry. "Then again, if you are who I think you are, maybe it's not that surprising."

"Who the hell are you?" Harry demanded.

The man smiled and held out a hand. "Captain Jack Harkness, Mr. Harry Potter. Welcome to Torchwood."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Sorry about the delay, work has piled on me the last few weeks. The ending just hit me as fitting somehow, hope to have more soon. **


	10. By the Light of Torchwood

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

**By the Light of Torchwood**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

In the months since she had joined the Torchwood unit, Gwen Cooper had gotten used to being the new girl who everyone laughed at due to her reactions to what they saw. She supposed it was natural, a policewoman who now found herself dealing daily with alien life and artifacts that the general public didn't know existed. The rest of her teammates seemed to take the bizarre things in stride, making her feel more the fool. Thus, Gwen found it quite satisfying to see them all even more stunned than she was at the statement made by their leader.

"Wizards?" Owen Harper said in disbelief. "You're saying these two boys are wizards?"

Jack Harkness was calmly sipping a cup of coffee. Harry and Draco were sitting nearby, feeling a little self-conscious at the stares they were getting from the group before them. The Torchwood headquarters appeared to be the interior of a stone bunker with desks set on various levels and a large glass vault nearby. The facility didn't look at all like the headquarters of the elite unit dedicated to tracking alien life on Earth…but then that was the point.

Gwen leaned on a wall staring at the newcomers, her long black hair framing her pretty face. She wore her usual jeans and leather jacket over a dark shirt, once again enjoying the fact Torchwood had a loose dress code. Owen was at the table in his own jeans and dark vest, still staring with jaw agape at Harkness' words. "I mean…actually bloody magic, flying broomsticks and all that rot?"

"That rot is our lives," Draco snapped at the young man. "So I'd watch your tone if I were you, mudblood."

"Now, now, manners," Jack said as he sipped his coffee. "These boys came here for help."

"Jack, I know you've shown us some strange things," Toshiko Sato said. "But still…" The attractive Japanese woman shook her head of long brown hair, wearing a dark skirt and nice blouse. "I mean, are you sure they aren't really aliens?"

"Magic exists, people," Jack announced. "I've seen it myself."

Everyone was completely thrown by that, including the usually unflappable Ianto Jones. The only member of the team who wore a suit, Jones was usually impassive to the point of seeming emotionless but he was staring in disbelief at well at Jack's statement. "You've seen it?" he asked. "Why didn't you mention that?"

Jack shrugged. "Wasn't really our area of expertise. The government has another team who handles the supernatural."

"They do?" Jones asked.

"They do?" Harry asked.

"Moving on," Jack said. "Our strapping young lads here seem to have gotten themselves into a pickle." He sat back. "How about you two tell us about it?"

Exchanging a long look, Harry and Draco took a breath and launched into a condensed version of the last several years. Once again, Gwen was struck by how her teammates were even more thrown by all this then she was. Even Jack appeared to be wowed by their tale…especially when Harry mentioned the man who'd been helping them.

"The Doctor?" Jack said. "Wait…you said the Doctor's here?" His face seemed more intense than usual

"He was," Harry said, his face downcast. "But…he fell into the Veil. I don't…I don't know if he's coming back or if he's even alive."

Jack's face fell. "Damn."

"You know this guy?" Owen asked.

"Long story," Jack waved off. "Go on, boys." He listened as they finished the tale with the take over of Hogwarts and their running off. "Well," Jack finally said. "Sounds like we've got a rather interesting mission before us."

"Ah, sir?" Jones piped up. "I thought we only handled alien activity. Magic is…a bit out our jurisdiction, isn't it?"

"Usually," Harkness noted. "But they showed up on our doorstep so that makes it our problem. I'm a sentimental guy, you all know that."

The dubious expressions of the others told Harry and Draco that the team didn't know that. Ignoring them, Jack settled back in his chair. "Besides, this Valeyard, whoever he is, is working with Daleks." His face darkened. "I'm not a fan of them."

"Why?" Owen asked. He sighed. "Forget it, long story, we know." He rubbed his temples. "Still can't believe in magic."

"I do." Everyone turned in surprise to Gwen. "There was this woman on our street, used to watch over the neighborhood kids. One day, I came across her in the kitchen and it looked like she was lighting up the stove with her bare hands. She made it look like a slight of hand trick and I figured that was it but now…" 

Jack smiled. "And she starts to convert at last. Knew I could count on you, Cooper." He nodded to the two boys. "You two start to talk to the rest on spells and such. Owen, try to find a way to make our tech work with Daleks and maybe some of these spells they got."

"Um….I have no idea how to do that," Harper admitted.

"That makes it different from our usual fare, how?" Jack said. "I've got to call a contact with that other department, see if we can figure out what's going down in the magical world and where to strike. The rest of you keep working with the kids."

"Excuse me," Draco sniffed. "We're not here to be studied like some animals."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Quite the mouth on you, blondie." He looked Draco up and down and smirked. "Ah, if you were just a few years older…" He shrugged. "Too bad I do have some standards."

"You do?" the four Torchwood members asked at once.

Jack seemed insulted. "Yes, I do! I may be open but not that open!" 

"What the bloody hell is he talking about?" Draco demanded.

"You don't want to know," Gwen quickly said.

Harry decided to ignore that and spoke up. "With all respect, Captain, how are we going to take down a force that controls the Ministry and has some alien monsters helping him?"

"A major rule of Torchwood, young Potter," Jack said as he started to move off toward his office. "Never make plans, they just get in the way. Just let it happen naturally and things work out for the best."

Harry and Draco watched him go and then looked to the others. "Is he always like that?" Harry asked. At the nods in answer, he winced. "I'm starting to think we were better on our own."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**MINISTRY ATTACKED!**

_**Major **__**Deatheater assault leads to mass casualties**_

_**Minister Dumbledore among missing**_

_The Ministry was shaken by a massive sudden attack by the forces of You-Know-Who that has led to massive casualties. Details are scarce but the numbers released indicate nearly a hundred have been killed with twice as many missing. Among the missing is Minister Dumbledore himself. _

_Details on the attack are unknown but contact with the Ministry was lost earlier this afternoon. It was a few hours later that reports filed in of several deaths with an official list still waiting to be released. Several major figures among the Aurors such as Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Alister Moody are missing with no word on whether they are alive or dead. _

_In the absence of Dumbledore, Malcom Tarsan has taken over as Acting Minister and issued a brief statement: "This has been a tragic and horrible day for the Ministry and the world of magic. While the initial attack was beaten back and prisoners are being transferred to Azkaban, there are still many Death-Eaters about along with (You-Know-Who). Thus, I have no alternative but to declare a state of emergency and martial law for all magical users within Great Britain. Special operatives will be arriving at key places to maintain order and search for more Death-Eater activity. Furthermore, it is my decision that Hogwarts shall be kept under tight guard as the students are safer there. I regret the lack of contact between them and their families but we cannot risk any type of Death-Eater interference. I am confident we shall prevail in the end and urge the magical community to submit to these temporary restrictions to ensure our way of life."_

_Tarsan added another detail as a warning to the Wizarding world: "While we do not know all the details, it would appear that Draco Malfoy, like his father, is a follower of (You-Know-Who) and aided in the attack. Also, from what we've gathered of survivors, the young Malfoy personally abducted Harry Potter for his father's forces. Thus, all wizards are to be on the lookout for Malfoy and Potter. Be warned that it is possible Potter may be under a binding spell that could force him to aid Malfoy if attacked. If anyone sees either individual, inform the Ministry at once but do not approach."_

_Further details shall be reported as they come but for now, Malcom Tarsan seems to be the stability we need in this difficult time. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Bloody hell!" Harry hissed as he threw the paper aside. "He's got the press on his side now."

Draco glanced at the paper himself. "Hmm…interesting. It's not Rita Skeever reporting it. Maybe she actually saw through the truth."

"In which case, she's either dead or in Azkaban," Harry muttered as he sat back in the room that doubled as the facility's cafeteria, rubbing his temples. "Damn. I'd hoped we'd be able to contact some other magicians and get them to help us out."

"Fat chance now," Malfoy sniffed as he read the article. "Not when they think you need to be rescued from me."

Harry sighed. "Yes, that is a new wrinkle I didn't expect. It means I can't show my face without someone trying to whisk me to the Ministry for my 'protection.'"

"Don't complain about it to me, Potter, I'm the one who's wanted!" Draco snapped. "Me a fugitive, how degrading."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, Merlin, Malfoy, don't start on that again. Whatever good your family name had is long gone. Just accept it and move on already."

Malfoy sniffed. "Just because I had a loving family taking care of me while you didn't is no reason to get on your high horse, Potter."

Harry scowled. "Don't go there, Malfoy."

"I'll go as I please," Draco said. "You should know that by now. And I would remind you that if it wasn't for me, you'd be dead by now so I think a little respect is called for."

"Respect is earned, Malfoy," Harry said. "And you're a long way from earning it still."

A small cough got their attention and they turned to see Gwen standing in the doorway of the cafeteria. "If you don't mind my saying," she started. "It sounds like you two are more interested in carrying on whatever petty rivalry you had rather than try and save all your friends from destruction."

Harry looked a bit chastened but Draco snorted. "Potter's friends, not mine."

"But you saved him," Gwen pointed out. "Which means there's some good in you."

"I saved him to help save myself."

"Whatever you say," Gwen stated. "But that you made that choice at all still says a lot about you."

Harry gave her a smile. "Look, Miss…"

"Gwen," she said. "Miss makes me feel older than I am."

"Gwen," Harry said. "How'd you get into all this?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, the usual. I was a policewoman with a normal life, then I see them using some device to bring a corpse back to life, next thing I know here I am."

"So you've know Captain Harkness well?" Harry asked.

Gwen smiled. "No one knows Jack well. That's the way he prefers it. We have no idea who he really is, where he's from or how he got involved in Torchwood."

"Can we trust him?" Draco asked in a dark voice.

"You can," Gwen said. "I know, he can be intense and he may seem cold-hearted at times but he deals with things most people never can imagine."

"Suppose you're right," Draco admitted. "Aliens…that is a new one."

"That's our reaction to magic," Gwen said. "Jack always says that the 21st century is when everything changes for the world. I guess that means your world too."

Harry gave a mirthless chuckle. "Change and the magical world don't go well together."

"Maybe it's overdue that that happens," Gwen said. "I'm not knocking you or your beliefs and all but hanging onto traditions just because they're traditions has caused a lot of pain to this country over the years. Maybe it's time you took a cue from us and started to flex with the times."

"And Harkness is the one to flex it?" Draco complained.

"Oh, Jack will be the first to say how flexible he is," Gwen smirked. She sobered before continuing. "But he'll also be the first to say how dangerous it is to ignore the dangers coming on the horizon."

Harry seemed dubious. "It doesn't sound like he took our situation all that seriously."

"As I said, he can be difficult to figure out," Gwen answered. She patted him on the shoulder. "But I do know that for all his bluster and that charm…he's as hard an ass as you'll ever meet."

"Why, thank you, Gwen, I've been working out." The three turned to see Jack in the doorway smiling at them. "I think I may have found something that can help us out." He set down a small labtop and brought up the images. "Okay, had Owen checking out some stuff on the Internet on some wizards and activities. Turns out the online world has a lot more on what goes on than you think."

He looked up to see Harry and Draco both confused. "The Internet?" the blonde-haired man asked. "What the hell's the Internet?"

Jack and Gwen exchanged wide-eyed looks before going back to them. "You're kidding, right?" Jack asked. At their stares, he shook his head at Gwen. "There's an entire school in England filled with teenagers who have never checked out either Posh or Becks naked online. Now that's alien."

Harry frowned. "Wait…I think I heard Dudley talking about it…thought he was joking about what you could find there."

"No joke," Jack said as he clicked a few keys on the computer. "And as I mentioned, even a few of us muggles have a good lock on what's going down in the wizarding world. Now, most sites are being clamped down thanks to Tarsan but…" He showed them a website with a heading that Harry found familiar. _"The Quibbler?_ There's a site for them?"

"Well, the unofficial one," Jack was quick to point out. "It mostly caters to the muggles but it does mention how the official line on what went down on the Ministry is bullshit and that there are quite a few wizards who know that and are going underground."

"Does it say where?" Harry was quick to ask.

Jack shook his head as he checked the site out. "Not in so many words…but, thanks to Tosh, it seems there's a little code hidden in the text here. Your typical highlighting of certain letters, bunched together and you get…" He hit a key and the screen filled with a message:

_Patgrow Point. By tomorrow night._

Harry's face brightened. "This could be a resistance…a way to help us out!"

Gwen seemed dubious. "It sounds more like a trap. You just said that wizards don't even use the Internet."

"Granted," Jack said. "That's why I'm going to be the one to check it out."

"I'm going with," Harry was quick to say.

Jack shook his head. "Sorry, kid but it's too dangerous."

Harry returned his gaze. "Do you know how to find Patgrow Point or how to get there?"

Jack's face fell. "Ah…well, put that way, not as such…"

Harry nodded. "Then you need me to go with. We can move in, check it out and make sure it's safe." He turned to Draco, holding out his hand. "Give me the portkey."

"No," Draco automatically said.

"I mean it, Malfoy," Harry snapped. "In case we need a fast exit."

With a sigh, Draco placed the small key into his hand and Harry nodded to Jack. "When can we leave?"

"No time like the present," the American answered. "Gwen, you stay here, make sure Owen's got that weapons work going. If you don't hear from me in three hours, look in the upper drawer of my desk. It'll tell you who to call next."

"Be careful, Jack," Gwen said.

He smirked. "Aw, I knew you cared."

"Well, it's just that you're the only one who can give us our paychecks," the woman dryly answered.

Jack just gave her a cocky salute as he walked out, Harry behind him. Draco glanced to Gwen with a raised eyebrow. "Not that I care what happens to Potter, really, but are you sure that Harkness can handle himself against the likes of Deatheaters?"

Gwen just gave a little smile as if she was enjoying a private joke. "Believe me, young man…Jack Harkness has a way of defying death."

That smile made Draco wonder once more if he'd been just better off on his own.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Jack let out a long breath as he felt the blast of the teleportation spell fade. "Damn and I thought I'd had wild rides before." He glanced around to see them standing at what appeared to be a cliff overlooking some sort of ravine. It reminded him of Stonehenge with the circles of stones surrounding a flat table in the middle of the field. "Charming spot," he dryly stated.

Harry brushed at his coat, the chill of the night air jarring him after so long indoors. "It was one of the Order's original meeting places," he said. "That's how I know about it. It's also why I think we might find help around here."

"Hope you're right," Jack said even as he reached into his pocket to pull out a large gun. At Harry's look, he shrugged. "You got your safety measures, I got mine. Different strokes for different folks and all that."

Harry brushed at his hair as he looked about. "I don't see anyone here yet. Maybe we should…." His words were cut off as a sudden pain ripped through his skull. He gasped and held a hand to his head as he nearly collapsed onto his knees.

"Harry?" Jack was nearby, holding a hand to the boy's elbow. "Harry, you okay?"

Harry hissed as he felt the scar throb under his fingers and his pain was melded with a dark chill as he knew what this meant. "Go…" he hissed to Harkness. "Go, now…He…He's coming…"

"Who?" Jack said. "Who's coming? Tell me-------" 

"_Adva Kadevera!" _

A blast of green energy fired out and struck Jack head-on. He let out a yelp of pain before falling back in a limp heap, instantly dead. Harry stared in shock at the man, the memories of Cedric falling just the same way freezing him in place. He no longer noticed the pain of the scar just as he failed to hear the sound of footsteps coming forward.

It took the dark chuckle for Harry to look up at the hideous figure before him, his wand aimed right at the boy's head.

"Hello, Potter," Lord Voldemort stated. "You don't know how much seeing you here is improving my day."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Sorry for the delay, hope this makes up for it and hopefully next chapter will be up sooner. In case you're wondering, this takes place mid-way through Torchwood's first season in terms of continuity. **


	11. Breaking Out to a New Day

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

Breakout to a New Day

**Apologies for the delay, got tied up in other things. Know this is a bit short but hope still good as it leads to more fun. **

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Azkaban Prison wasn't quite as Siruis Black remembered it. Whether that was good or bad was still to be determined.

On the one hand, it was a relief to no longer have to worry about those damn Dementors going around, sucking away all happiness and driving him to the brink of insanity day after day. On the other hand, having a group of Daleks be their jailkeepers wasn't much better. And of course, this time Sirius couldn't cling to the idea of someday proving his innocence as a way to maintain his spirits.

How the Valeyard had known exactly what cell Sirius had been imprisoned in was beyond him but somehow, Sirius was back in his old room. He recognized it thanks to the marks he'd made years ago as a way to alleviate boredom and keep his mind sharp. At least he was clad in more comfortable clothes, albeit ones needing a wash after a week behind bars.

He rose up to head to the small window in his cell and looked around the dark hallway. He saw the form of Peter Pettigrew in a ball in the cell across the hall and once more cursed the Valeyard's twisted sense of humor about putting them close together. Sirius' eyes trailed to where he knew Remus was staying and hoped they'd figure a way out of here before the next full moon. He didn't want to think about what Azkaban could do to a werewolf.

He drummed his fingers on the doorway and once more tried to go over some sort of escape plan. Again, he had a bit of an advantage at having gotten out before. But he was positive the Daleks would be ready for such a strategy, not to mention Azkaban appeared to have undergone a few renovations since his escape. Maybe with help, he could figure out a way but talking to fellow prisoners was expressly forbidden by severe means.

He moved back to his cot and sat down, picking up the small tray of food and scraping at it. He wrinkled his nose, dismayed that the food hadn't changed. In fact, Sirius could swear this was exactly the same meal he'd been eating before his escape. He nevertheless chewed on it as he tried to go over what few options were available at the moment.

He had tried to shift into his wolf form with limited success. He suspected the Valeyard must have set of some sort of spell to counter or subdue magics of the prisoners. It didn't affect the Daleks, of course, leaving them ready to use their killing rays on anyone who fought back. For now, the prisoners were willing to play along, at least until some other option presented itself.

Needless to say, having Aurors, Deatheaters and those in between sharing the same space made for some tension. So far, everyone was too busy with their imprisonment to worry about such differences but it was still there. Sirius certainly felt it every time he looked across the hall to his former friend and reflected on the pain he'd gone through because of the rat.

As bad as it was for the adults, the children must have had it even worse. Black had no idea how the hell Tarsan or the Valeyard or whatever he was managed to keep it so quiet that most of the students of Hogwarts had been transferred to Azkaban, kept in the lower levels. It appeared to be most of the older students although Black had managed to see Herimone, Neville and the Weasleys among the students hustled in when they were brought to Azkaban. Whatever this monster had in mind, Sirius knew it wasn't good.

Sirius sighed as he finished his meal and put the plate aside. He lay back and tried to recall the old exercises he'd used in the past to keep his mind sharp. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and tried to settle himself…

The sound of a loud booming jarred both his thoughts and his bed. He landed on his hands and knees (an unexpected recurring effect of his shifting to a wolf often) and scurried up, his eyes wide. He looked out to see a blast of energy of some sort flying down a hallway and an electronic cry. His vision was suddenly filled by an attractive young woman with black hair, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket. "Stand back."

Sirius did so as the woman aimed some sort of device at the door. There was a clicking and the lock sparked and then opened. The woman entered, hefting what looked like a large cannon and held out a hand. "Come with me if you want to live."

"Huh?" Sirius gaped.

The woman chuckled. "Sorry, I've always wanted to say that. I'm Gwen, come on."

"What? Where?"

"You want to talk or get out of here, Mr. Black?"

Sirius shrugged and decided to follow her. As he exited the hallway, he saw another woman, this one Chinese, opening up several of the cells around them. Sirius stifled the automatic urge to throttle Pettigrew as the small man came into the hallway, as jarred at all this as everyone else. "How's the lower level?" Gwen called.

"Already clear," the other woman answered. "Ianto and Harry got the children away, we just need to hear from Jack."

"Harry?" Sirius said with sudden joy. "Harry's alive?"

Gwen nodded. "Yep and downstairs helping."

Sirius could hear other blasts from what sounded like above as he looked around. He saw Tonks moving to give a hug to Remus and couldn't resist a smile. "Told you she was interested, Moony," he whispered.

A smashing sound caught everyone's attention and they all looked up as a section of the ceiling above them seemed to rumble. Another of the strange blasts rang out and then a huge hole erupted, a pair of Daleks smashing through it and landing on the ground. They rolled like giant pepper pots, one apparently still functioning as its head twirled. A bolt of blue energy from above struck it, creating a plum of smoke and a hideous electronic screech as it lay still.

A handsome man in a long coat over his strange suit leaped down from the hole and landed next to a startled Lupin and Tonks. He nodded to them. "Hi there, Captain Jack Harkness." He looked them both over and smiled. "Huh, a couple, I see. Maybe later on, when this is over, the three of us can…"

"Jack," Gwen cut in. "I thought we were busy."

"True," he said with regret. He moved to the end of the hallway and knelt to touch what looked like a small button. There was a blast of air and a large doorway opened up before them all. Jack turned to the former captives. "Ladies and gents, consider this a unique kind of portkey," he called out. "If you will please enter single file, no pushing, no panic, just head on in…"

A blasting rang out and everyone turned to see a man in a dark suit running toward them. He was closely followed by a familiar figure in dark pants and shirt, his glasses hung awkwardly on his nose and a wand clutched in his hand. "Harry!" Sirius cried out.

His godson took a moment to hug him quickly before turning to Jack. "They're coming," he said in a breathless voice.

"Okay," Jack said, his voice still light in tone. "Forget the single file, just get the hell out of here!"

Not surprisingly, the Deatheaters were the ones shoving their way to the front as the upcoming portal was filled with panicked wizards. Sirius stole a glance to see a pair of Daleks coming down the hallway, watching as Jack and his friends fired their cannons to drive them back. He was relieved to see Harry following as he leapt into the portal.

The effect was like a portkey, a whoosh of air and a shifting all around before he came to his new surroundings. It appeared to be a huge chamber of some sort, torches giving enough light as several dozen figures milled about. Automatically, the Deatheaters split into their own while the Aurors and other light ones hung together.

"Mum!" Ron, Ginny, Fred and George broke from the crowd of young students to embrace their tearful parents. A few other reunions took place as people felt hope for the first time.

Sirius quickly looked to see Harry nearby, the young man wiping his sweaty forehead. He moved to pull his godson into a long embrace. "So good to see you alive," he whispered.

"You too," Harry whispered as he hugged back, letting the tension of the last few days melt.

The feeling didn't last long as Harry felt a hand on his shoulder yank him back. He turned to see the malovent features of Lucius Malfoy glaring at him. "I have no idea how you kept alive, Potter and I don't care. But I'm not letting an opportunity to get in the Dark Lord's good graces again slip by me."

Sirius was about to lunge toward the man when a blast of green energy struck Malfoy. He howled as he flopped back on the floor, shaking from the curse. Everyone looked up toward a platform near the back of the chamber and a dark chill went up at the sight of Lord Voldemort standing with a wand in hand.

"The next one of you who threatens the boy gets worse," he hissed.

Harry stepped forward to glare at him. "I thought we'd agreed…"

"You agreed, Potter," the dark wizard snapped. "No one dictates to me what I can and cannot do, especially when it comes to chastising my own."

"This is torture, not chastising."

Voldemort smirked. "You should consider giving it a try, Potter. Pain is a wonderful motivator, particularly for the more inept."

"Harry," Ron said. "What the bloody hell is going on."

Harry ignored him to glare at Voldemort. "You try it on any of my friends…"

"Don't attempt to order me around, Potter," Voldemort said. "We may be allies for now but…"

"Allies?!" Herimone screeched out, her eyes wide with the shock that went through both sides of the assembly.

"Harry," Ron whispered. "Tell me you're not…I mean…you and him?"

Harry looked down and took a deep breath. "It's like the old muggle saying goes, Ron." He looked to his friend with a sad expression. "When the world goes to Hell…"

He turned to face the figure smiling down upon them. "That's when you have to deal with the Devil."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A short chapter, I know but sets up more. So next one will show how this unusual pairing came about while setting up more of the saga. All comments welcomed. **


	12. Deal With the Devil

Tides of Time

By Michael Weyer

**Deal with the Devil**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Harry swallowed in fear as Voldemort stood before him. The man's wand was held down and a sneer twisted on his face. "Oh, don't soil yourself, Potter. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be lying beside your friend here." He nodded to the body of Jack Harkness lying on the ground.

Harry managed to bury his fear and anger at the man's murder to speak. "Then…what do you want?"

"To talk, Potter," Voldemort said. "I think you and I-------"

Without warning, Jack let out a loud gasp and sat right up. He rubbed at his chest and blinked, seemingly shaken but very much alive. "Well…that was a new one," he said in a nonchalant voice.

Harry and Voldemort both stared at him with matching dumbfounded expressions, unable to blink. Voldemort looked at Harry with an open-mouthed scowl but the teen just shrugged right back as if saying "don't look at me, I don't get it either." Voldemort held up his wand to examine it and even gave it a little shake.

Jack winced as he managed to get back to his feet. "Damn…magic doesn't do it either," he muttered to himself. He cracked his neck to either side as he faced the two. "Sorry, I miss anything?"

"How…how…" Harry whispered. "You….you were dead!"

"That was a Killing Curse," Voldemort hissed. "No one…" He paused to glance at Harry. "_Almost _no one can survive that."

Jack shrugged. "Yeah well…I'm not most people."

"You…you can't die?" Harry asked.

"No, I can die," Jack answered. "Just doesn't take too long."

"An immortal…" Voldemort smiled as he rubbed his chin. "Very interesting."

Jack scoffed. "Let me tell you, pal, living forever is not what it's cracked up to be. And if my perfectly gorgeous looks can't keep up, your ugly pus isn't going to handle eternity well."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed, the smile vanishing as he leaned toward the other man. "Tell me…would this condition mean you'd still be alive if I had you disemboweled and fed to a pack of bugbears?"

Jack blinked, his brow furrowing. "Truth to tell, I've never thought of that."

"I will test the theory if you press me further." Dismissing him, Voldemort whirled to face Harry. "Now then…before we were interrupted, I was about to talk to you."

"Talk about what?" Harry said, feeling a bit braver now.

Voldemort paced before him. "In case you are unaware, Potter, Tarsan…"

"The Valeyard," Harry corrected. "He calls himself the Valeyard."

"Whatever his name," Voldemort waved, irritated at the interruption. "He has captured most of my forces along with many of the Aurors and Ministry officials. More importantly, he has somehow found a way to capture the power, the spirit, the…soul as it were of wizards upon their death and bind them to some sort of central conduit."

Harry frowned. "Why?"

"Obviously, power," Voldemort said as if lecturing to a student. "What his ultimate goal is, I am uncertain. But I do know that it will not be good, not for my side or for yours."

Harry felt some irritation grow. "Considering that you helped him get into this spot in the first place, it seems a bit late to complain about his plans now."

"I did not know," Voldemort said, glancing away. "I believed I was using him, his power and his influences, to attack the Ministry from within. I believed that once the Ministry was subdued, he would be my agent, giving a good front while I kept attacking."

"All the while, he supplies you with the plans of the light Wizards and even helps you find and wipe them out," Jack concluded.

Voldemort nodded. "That was the understanding. Until the Ministry was taken over and he showed that his plans were far different than my own."

Harry paused before smiling. "So in other words…he was playing you. All this time, the great Dark Lord was being used like a fool and didn't even know it." He couldn't help it, the laughter escaping from his lips and Voldemort's scowl just added to it. Jack was also chuckling as the Dark Lord glared at him. "I need Potter," he hissed. "But I can kill you. And I highly suspect that while it's not permanent, it's quite painful."

Jack's sudden silence answered his thought and Voldemort turned back to Harry. "As I was saying, Potter…this Valeyard betrayed me. Which means he must die."

"And you want me to help you with that?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

Harry blinked as he realized the man was utterly serious. "Wait…what?"

Voldemort began to pace. "Whatever this…Valeyard is…he is not human. I did not want to face it before but his powers, those…things he uses, the way he was able to break through all shields…He is not of this Earth and I suspect you knew that already." At Harry's nod, he continued. "So whatever his plans are, it will not be a pleasant thing for our world."

"Why do you care?" Harry blurted. "You've been wanting to wipe out muggles anyway and establish power!"

Voldemort cocked his head to the side. "True," he admitted. "But that should tell you something, Potter. It should tell you that I want this magical world to be intact for when I rule it. What good is it to become the master of the Wizarding World if there are no wizards left?"

Harry couldn't fault the logic in that as Voldemort went on. "In my time in seclusion…"

"Don't you mean hiding?" Jack asked.

Without looking to him, Voldemort waved his wand, sending out a bolt that knocked Jack to the ground, racked with pain. Without a single change in his expression, Voldemort spoke. "I have discovered that wizards are not the only ones being targeted. Goblins, giants, centaurs and more have been going missing for some time. He wants magic, Potter. He wants it either to wipe it out or all for himself."

Harry let out a long breath at this revelation, wiping at his brow. "What do we do?" he asked.

Voldemort faced him. "We do the only thing that we can, Potter. We fight him."

"Using the royal we, here?" Jack gasped as he got to his feet. He yelled out as another curse hit him. "Okay…that's…getting annoying!"

Harry had much the same reaction as he blinked at Voldemort. "We...as in, you and me?"

"As much as I dislike Muggles, Potter, I do believe one of their sayings is appropriate here," Voldemort told him. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Harry's face turned into a scowl. "We are not friends."

"I am fully aware of that," the Dark Lord said. "We are enemies, Potter, and we ever shall be. The prophecy assures that."

"Prophecy?" Harry frowned. "What prophecy?"

Voldemort stared at him in confusion before his face broke into a grin. "You don't know," he said. "He never told you…Oh, Albus, Albus, still playing games."

"What are you babbling about?" Harry demanded.

Voldemort grinned, knowing he had the upper hand. "Did you not ever wonder, Potter, why you? Why your parents on that night? Why you managed to not only survive but actually destroy the greatest wizard since Merlin?"

Harry just peered at him as Voldemort chuckled. "A prophecy made long ago, Potter…named for a child born under the same stars as you…a child who would be destined to destroy the Dark Lord for…" He paused to think before reciting. "'One must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives.'"

Harry's jaw dropped. "I…no….you're lying."

"I never lie about my own fate, Potter," Voldemort snapped. "And Dumbledore never told you? Of course not, why risk losing his greatest weapon against me before the proper time?"

Harry's anger grew. "Dumbledore was a better man than you could ever hope to be, Riddle!" he spat.

Anger flashed at the sound of his real name but Voldemort kept his temper. "Actually, he is still alive. I would know if a wizard of such power had been killed. The Valeyard must be keeping him alive for some reason."

A burst of joy came over Harry at that news, tempered a bit by Voldemort's revelation. "Then I have to rescue him."

"That can be high on the list," Voldemort said. "But I do believe we could use more reinforcements first."

"You keep saying we," Harry said. "I'm still not convinced that I can trust you."

"I am not asking for trust, Potter," Voldemort said. "Simply to put aside our differences for a time. Alone, we do not stand much against the power the Valeyard currently wields. But together…with all our forces combined…we can stop this freakish being and take back our world."

"Which of course, you intend to make your world," Jack noted.

"It is my way," Voldemort said. He turned and extended a hand to Harry. "Do we have a bargain, Potter?"

Harry just stared at the hand, then up to the man, his face impassive. "You want me to shake your hand. You want me to shake the hand that held the wand that killed my mother and my father. That tried to kill me. You want me to ally with the greatest evil the Wizarding World has known in centuries."

Voldemort's eyes hardened. "As I said, Potter…we are bound together. I will kill you. That is a promise not to mention our destiny. Make no mistake, I will do so. But…" He took a deep breath. "I hereby swear under the name of Salazar Slytherin and all the great lords of the House of Slytherin that I will not strike at you while under the conditions of this truce."

Harry was a bit thrown by that. Even for Voldemort, breaking such an oath was simply not done which meant he was dead serious. Jack could see the look and moved in. "Harry," he hissed. "You can't. The guy's a total whack job, evil to the core, did you miss how he just killed me?"

"I know," Harry said to him. "But I also know that we need to fight the Valeyard. And…I can't do it alone, Jack. I really can't."

"Harry, he's a power-mad murderous psycho," Jack hissed. "You can't bargain with people like that. Trust me, we muggles tried it with a guy named Hitler, it didn't work. It never works."

"If we don't, then the Valeyard takes over," Harry said. "You know the magic world, Jack. You want to imagine such massive power in the hands of some sort of alien madman? You want to imagine him using it on your world?" He rubbed at his face. "I don't want this either, Jack. I know what sort of monster Riddle is. But like it or not…he's the only chance we may have."

He turned to face Voldemort, his face hardening as he stepped forward. "You don't hurt anyone, you don't kill anyone. The only ones you attack are the Valeyard and these Daleks of his." He leaned in. "And don't ever…ever think this makes us any true allies. Once the Valeyard is dealt with…"

"Then our war continues," Voldemort said with a nod. "Agreed." He held out his hand once more.

After a long moment, Harry Potter joined his hand to Voldemort's and tried to tell himself the chill that ached through his entire body was just from the cold clammy skin.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Short, I know but I thought I'd throw it up. We return to the present next time with more of this new alliance which you know will go just swimmingly…**


	13. An Uneasy Gathering

Tides of Time

An Uneasy Gathering

By Michael Weyer

**I know, I know, it's been a while since the last updated chapter. I apologize, was caught up in another fan fic. Hopefully, the wait will be worth it. **

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was hard to tell exactly who was more shocked at the news of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort working together: The regular wizards or the Deatheaters. Both sides looked from one to the other in complete disbelief and shock. "You…and him?" Ron repeated in disbelief.

"Believe me, young man, the irony of the situation is not lost upon me," Voldemort stated in a cool tone. "But war makes for unlikely bedfellows."

"Tell me about it," Jack muttered under his breath.

"Harry," Herimone hissed as she grabbed his arm. "Have you gone mental? That's…that's…"

"I know who it is, Herimone." Harry's voice was tired as if he'd expected this. "And I don't like it. But desperate times call for desperate measures."

"We can't be that desperate!" Tonks called out.

"You've been locked up, changling," Draco fired back. "You have no idea how bad things are out there. The Valeyard is consolidating power, the Ministry and the press are on his side and we've got these…Daleks going around too."

"They are striking at all forms of magic," Voldemort stated. "Light and dark alike. Which means, as odious as I find the very idea, an alliance between us is necessary."

"My Lord," Lucius Malfoy began. "I…are you sure that is wise?"

Voldemort fixed him with a cold gaze and Malfoy silenced. "Do not question me again, Lucius."

"I can't believe this," Remus muttered. "I cannot believe we are actually going to…to him…"

For once, Minerva McGonagall appeared truly jarred. "Harry, you actually intend for us to ally with…with…"

"Voldemort." Everyone turned to where Jack was standing. "His name's Voldemort. Honestly, people, you're going to work together, at least drop this whole not naming him thing."

"And just who the hell are you?" Sirius demanded.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack said with a nod and a slight smile. "This is my team. We've been helping Harry out."

"Oh, wonderful, Muggles," Snape muttered. "Just what we needed."

"These 'Muggles' just saved your asses, mate," Owen pointed out. "How's about a bit of appreciation for that?"

"You don't know Snape," half a dozen people said at once, earning glares from the black-garbed man.

"I can see this is clearly a stressful situation," Jack announced. "I've been in prison before, I know how that can effect you."

"You were in prison?" Owen asked.

"And this is a surprise…how?" Tosh dryly asked back.

"Regardless," Jack said, ignoring them. "You're all tired, hungry and wouldn't blame you for being a bit scared so we just need to calm down and get some chow in there."

A loud cough came up and everyone turned to see Ianto standing in the doorway pushing a large cart packed with warm boxes. "Pizzas are here."

"Excellent!" Jack said with a grin. "Dig in, all!" He moved and stopped, turning to see everyone staring with uncertainty at the boxes.

"Pizza?" Remus asked. "What's pizza?"

Jack sighed. "Great, first have to teach the Brits about decent food, now have to do the same with the wizards."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It wasn't a surprise at all that the two sides were keeping as much of a distance between each other as possible as they ate. The conversation was muted as each discussed the events of the last few days and the current situation.

"What a filthy meal," Snape muttered, wiping grease on the small table. "They actually consider this a delicacy?"

Sirius was eating his fourth slice and shrugging. "After time in Azkaban, beggars can't be choosers."

"Yes and you would know about begging," Snape muttered.

"Lay off it, Snape," Lupin said as he chewed on a piece carefully. "I swear, you're more annoying now then when you were a teenager."

Tonks cocked her head toward Snape. "It's hard to imagine you as a teenager, Snape," she said, licking some grease off her lips. "Truth to tell, hard to imagine you being a greaser git then than now."

Snape sniffed at her. "At least I graduated from a decent school, changer."

"Don't talk to her like that, Snivelius," Remus growled at him.

Snape's eyebrows rose. "Why, Lupin, are you sweet on the girl? Then again, beast calls to beast."

Both Tonks and Lupin leaned in but Sirius quickly put a hand up to block them. "Let's try to play nice here, given the circumstances."

Snape snorted at him. "Play nice with you? Please. Next you'll ask me to treat Potter with respect."

"What is your problem, Snape?" Lupin snapped. "For Merlin's sake, I know you and James had problems but there's no reason to take it out on his son, who never did you any harm!"

"I never did his father harm," Snape fired back. "That didn't stop you lot from making my school life miserable, now did it?"

Sirius was quiet before nodding. "You're right."

Snape blinked. Remus blinked. Tonks blinked twice. "I beg your pardon?" Snape asked, positive he hadn't heard right.

"You're right," Sirius went on. "We were horrible to you, treated you like dirt, ran you down, humiliated you, all because we didn't like the way you looked or the House you were in. You did nothing to deserve it…and…I'm sorry for all that."

Snape knew he looked completely undignified gaping at Black but was too stunned by his words to care. Remus and Tonks appeared as thrown and Black shuffled uncomfortably. "Two trips inside Azkaban gives you plenty of time to think about the past," he said defensively. "So, yeah, I'm sorry for what we did back when we were a bunch of young idiots." He managed a sideways glare at Snape. "So maybe, just maybe, it's time you stop punishing Harry for what his father did back then."

Snape didn't reply but simply looked at the food on the table. "I never imagined I'd hear you saying that, Black."

"Before you get weepy, Snape, we're a far ways from being friends," Sirius quickly said. His eyes swept to a quivering figure on the other side of the chamber and darkened. "And given how one of my best friends turned out…"

Snape didn't have to look to know Sirius was gazing at Pettigrew. "Better stop talking now, wolf. It could lead to bonding and I'm nauseous enough as it is."

"Agreed," Sirius was quick to say.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Draco Malfoy had never been as close to his father but the distance between them was far greater now. They sat on opposite ends of the table simply gazing at each other carefully. "So…" Lucius began. "You and Potter."

"There weren't many other options," Draco carefully responded.

Lucius sniffed. "I suppose not. Still, associating with one of his like is beneath us."

"Really," Draco dryly stated. "And Azkaban wasn't?"

Lucius glared at him. "Don't cross me, boy. I am your father. What I have done, I have done for the good of this family."

"Fat lot of good we have now," Draco said. "You were locked up, Father. You didn't have to endure the humiliation of being publicly ostracized and stripped of wealth. You know how difficult it has been to scrape by on almost nothing?"

"Oh, no, Draco, I have no idea having been in prison all this time," Lucius dryly responded. "I did what I thought right, to stand up for our entire true Wizarding race and show the pride we have."

Draco looked thoughtful. "Tell me, Father, because I've never quite understood this. If you have such pride in what you are and want to show that to the world, why do you wear masks?"

Lucius' nostrils flared as he leaned forward. "Do not test me…"

"Don't press me then," Draco fired back, surprising his father by the anger in his eyes. "Just consider, Father, that for all the supposed strength the purebloods have, we've been reduced to seeking aid from halfbloods and mudbloods. And you precious Lord and Master is facilitating that alliance."

"That doesn't mean we simply ignore what we are."

"What we are, Father, is in a war and we're losing." Draco sat back. "I don't like Potter or his friends and I'm not turning my back on our family name. But unlike you, I'm open to the fact that we can't let our pride be our undoing. That's a lesson you should know better than I do."

He made to move but Lucius grabbed at his arm, his face marked with anger. "Draco, don't be foolish enough to throw away your future."

Draco pulled his arm away. "I'm making sure we have a future, Father. All of us, not just the purebloods. Because like it or not, we need the rest if we're going to survive and frankly, even the great Malfoy name isn't worth my life."

He turned to stalk away as Lucius Malfoy seethed with anger…yet could not help but feel a tiny spark of respect for his son's new strength.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Not exactly the most cordial bunch, are they?" Owen observed from the far end of the room where the Torchwood team had gathered.

"Well, they are pretty much mortal enemies," Tosh pointed out as she chewed on her slice of pizza. "Just because they have a foe in common doesn't mean they're going to act nice."

"They're going to have to learn," Jack noted. "Otherwise, they don't have a hope in hell of fighting the Valeyard off."

"Alliances among enemies don't come easily, Jack," Gwen noted.

"Hey, the American colonies got it done."

"Yes, bring up the Revolution, we British just love to hear about that."

Jack shook his head. "I don't get it, it was over 200 year ago! How can you be so upset about it?"

"We're English, Jack," Owen dryly said. "Some of us are still upset about the Saxon invasion."

Jack smiled as he headed away. "I've got to check on something, keep an eye on everyone." He was walking toward the exit when a soft voice came from behind him.

"You're the one."

Jack turned to see a while eyed young teen staring at him, her hair so blonde it was almost white. "You're him," she whispered, her eyes rapt and a slight smile to her dreamy face. "The man who's stuck."

"I'm sorry?" Jack asked with a frown.

"The man who can't pass on," she continued as she moved closer to him, her voice dropping. "The man who can't be like everyone else. The one who can't die."

The smile had vanished completely from Jack's face. "I don't know what you mean," he tried to say but he could tell the blonde wasn't buying it.

"I know who you are," she whispered. "Don't worry, I won't tell. Just know…it won't be forever." She turned and walked away, leaving Jack Harkness at a very rare loss for words.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"My…my Lord?"

Voldemort let out a sigh as he turned his head to face a quivering Pettigrew. "Yes, Wormtail?"

The man looked more nervous than ever, rubbing his hands together, the silver on the natural one. "I…my Lord, do not think I am questioning you but…is this…wise? To work with Potter and the rest?"

"Desperate times, Wormtail," Voldemort said in a calm tone. "You should accept that."

"But, my Lord…" He licked his lips as he stole a glance towards Sirius. "Many of his allies want…want to…want to kill me. I'd rather not have them so close by."

Voldemort turned his head and fixed an icy stare that chilled Pettigrew to the bone. "Pettigrew, because you allowed yourself to be discovered after my resurrection, I lost valuable time. Time I needed to consolidate my power and my control. Time that might well have put off this problem we all face. If I could afford to kill you, do not think for one instant I would hesitate to do so."

Pettigrew swallowed his dry throat. "I…I….my Lord, I only meant…"

Voldemort cut him off with a wave of his hand. "The alliance with Potter is temporary, Pettigrew. Once it is done, I shall deal with him as I see fit." His eyes narrowed. "But make it clear that if any hand but mine eliminates him or any of his friends…I will not be pleased. Is that clear?"

Pettigrew bowed his head as he scampered away, leaving Voldemort to mull over his plans once more.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Have you heard from my parents?" Herimone asked Harry. As usual, the trio were tight together at one end of a table.

Harry nodded. "I had Jack's people check on them, they're okay. It looks like the Valeyard is only interested in true wizards right now, doesn't care about muggles as of yet."

Herimone sighed with relief. "That's good. I still don't know how to deal with this."

"She's got a point, Harry," Ron said, glancing at the shadowy figure at the far side of the room. "I mean….it's….it's him. After all he's done…"

"Believe me, Ron, I know," Harry snapped. "Your parents weren't killed by him." He looked away. "Sorry but as much as I hate to say it, the man's right. We need to fight together or else the Valeyard can pick us all off."

"Yes but working with Deatheaters, mixing light and dark magic together," Herimone went on. "The dangers of this are just so extreme."

"I know, I know," Harry waved them off. "Like I said, I'm aware of the dangers but we really don't have any choice in the matter."

"But…"

"If Harry says it's the only way, it's the only way," Neville Longbottom said as he came up to them. He was staring toward Bellatrix with a tight expression but kept his voice warm to the others. "We'll just have to learn to handle these…people."

Herimone still seemed unsure. "There's never been a situation like this before."

"Good, we're inventing a new type of combat," Harry said. "Which means the Valeyard won't expect what we can do together."

"Well, I don't like it Harry, but if it's the only way, we just have to live with it." Ron rubbed his arms as he looked about. "By the way, where the bloody hell are we?"

"Some abandoned school on the other side of the country," Harry answered. "It's somehow ripe with darker energies so Voldemort figured it'd be a good place to shield us from whatever scans the Valeyard has."

Ron was quiet before speaking. "You can't trust him."

"I know. And he knows I can't." Harry bit his lip. "But he needs me alive as much as we need him so that'll do for now."

"What about these muggles?" Ron asked. "Can we trust them?"

"They've helped us out well so far." Harry made a small smile. "And believe me when I say that Jack Harkness is willing to give his last breath to help us out. And whatever else is left afterward."

Herimone frowned at that remark as she glanced over. Her frown deepened as she saw someone nearby. "Who is that?"

Everyone turned to look to where she was pointing. Hanging on the side of the room sipping a cup with a straw was an attractive, if shapely, young woman with short black hair hanging in bangs around her face. She was dressed in a red outfit that accented her curves, one boot tapping on the floor, some fancy earrings, necklace and thick red lipstick. She seemed to take in everyone with curiosity but not too much interest.

"How'd she get in?" Harry frowned. "I don't recall seeing her before." 

"There's something about her…" Herimone muttered. "Can you feel it? Her aura?"

"She's no Deatheater," Ron noted. "They'd never wear anything that bright."

Harry frowned and headed over to the girl. "Um, excuse me? Miss? Miss?"

The girl seemed to not hear him for a moment before facing him. She blinked and looked over her shoulder as if expecting someone behind her. She turned around and her face changed to amazement. "Wha….me?"

"Yes," Harry said. "Who are you?"

"You…." The girl blinked. "You can see me?"

"Yes," Harry said, baffled at her response.

"You….you can…you can actually see me?!" The girl's voice carried, getting the attention of most everyone. She stared around and appeared shocked to see all the eyes on her. "Bloody hell, you can all see me?" 

Minevera stepped forward with her best teacher tone. "Young lady, just who are you and how did you get in here?"

As the woman stammered, Voldemort rose to his feet, his face hard. "I would answer her, if I were you," he hissed, his hands on his wand. "Crucio!" Before anyone could stop him, a bolt of green energy ripped out and toward the woman…

And passed right through her.

The woman still gasped a bit as if feeling an electric shock but no pain at the blow which hit a wall behind her. Surprised looks went all around as Voldemort was jarred to once more meet someone his curses had no effect on. If this kept up, he might start to get annoyed.

"It wouldn't have done any good," a clipped voice came from the far side of the room. "You can't inflict pain on someone who's already dead."

All eyes turned to the stairway leading into the chamber as a woman came down to the end of it. She appeared to be in her 20's and very attractive with red hair in a pageboy cut and was clad in a pair off pants and a quite tight purple bustier with knee-high boots and a long coat. She gazed around with a look of mischief but those who looked closely could see that her eyes appeared older than her body.

Of all of them, Jack was the most surprised. "Ella?"

The woman turned to him and smiled. "Jack Harkness. As I live and breathe." She motioned to the other woman. "And as Thelma here doesn't." She took in the whole room and smiled. "Well, well, what sort of mischief have we gotten into now then?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**For those who don't know, the two new arrivals come from the underrated and too short-lived BBC series "Hex." Hopefully not as long until the next update, provided circumstances don't interfere.**


End file.
